Film Review: “Total Recall” (2012)

August 17, 2012 in - 40 views

Review: "Total Recall" (2012)

by Echo23

Reviewer Rating: 2½ Boners up

I watched "Total Recall" so now you don't have to (you're welcome).

In a post-apocalyptic future, factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) is plagued with nightmares of running from the law. But, it seems, his dreams  interest him far more than the boring reality  of life as a factory worker living in the slum region known as the Colony (formerly Australia). Luckily for people like Doug, an establishment called Rekall exists to cater to those bored with their average lives by implanting false memories of a more exciting past. When Doug hesitantly decides to try out Rekall, he asks for memories of life as a spy, and is jokingly warned that implanting memories similar to his real-life past could cause major neurological damage.

Len Wiseman Exec Producer and Director
Ric Kidney Exec Producer
Toby Jaffe Producer
Neal H. Moritz Producer

Of course, things go horribly wrong when the technician (John Cho, Sulu from the new Star Trek movies)–who decided to hold off on the standard safety checks until after injecting Doug with the potentially lethal memories–realizes that Doug is, in fact, a spy. Now, Doug must join his old partner, Melina (Jessica Biel) to fight against his wife Lori (Kate Bechinsale) in order to regain his memories, and save the world.

Colin Farrell Douglas
Quaid/Hauser
Kate Beckinsale Lori Quaid
Jessica Biel Melina
Bryan Cranston Cohaagen
Bokeem Woodbine Harry
Bill Nighy Matthias
John Cho McClane

So how is Total Recall? First of all, this movie has more lens flares than a JJ Abrams movie. Secondly, there's more running and jumping than a Super Mario game. It's Bourne Identity meets I, Robot meets Len Wiseman trying way too hard to be psychological. He tried to pretend like it was a remake with a new twist, when in fact, it looks like it was written by a 15 year old girl. (Maybe James Cameron was involved?) I could never fully immerse myself in the story, because the acting and script just weren't believable. The futuristic tech is cool, and I'm always a fan of seeing how people envision the future, but it just wasn't enough to pull me in this time. Overall, I give it a resounding "meh." Not that I'm surprised. It was exactly what I expected from the trailer. Though I probably should have read a bit more into the fact that less than two weeks after it's release, there were only two other people in the theater. It might be worth watching if you’re at home, and it’s on Netflix, and you feel like making fun of something with your friends. But paying $10.50 to see it in theaters? Hell no.

Dan O'Bannon Story
Jon Povill Story
Ronald Shusett Story
Kurt Wimmer
Story and Screenplay 
Mark Bomback
Screenplay 

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief nudity, and language.

 

More information at IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386703/

View "Total Recall" in the ShackNation Theatre

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