Total Recall -
(August 3rd, 2012): PG-13
Distributor: Columbia
Pictures (division of Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Opening Weekend Box Office:
#2 with $25,577,758
Domestic Box Office
Gross to-date: $44,188,000
Gross Revenue: $71,688,000
Production Budget:
$125 million
Director: Len Wiseman
Given the large volume of remakes
that have saturated Hollywood over the past few years, audience fatigue is a
growing and definitive threat to box office performance, but who in their right
mind would want to tackle the challenge of trying to sell audiences on the
revisiting of an Arnold Schwarzenegger classic?
To their credit, Columbia Pictures went out of their way to emphasize in
sneak-peaks that this remake would adhere much more closely to “We Can Remember
It for You Wholesale” (the source material that was only loosely adhered to in
1990) and therefore result in a noticeably different film. And let’s face it, if you HAD to pick a Schwarzenegger
film to revisit, the original Total
Recall isn’t exactly top-of-mind for the highly-desirable 18-25
demographic, so as such, they could be drawn in with promises of cool special
effects, fast-paced action, and sexy women, regardless of the fact that Colin
Farrell isn’t the first name in Hollywood associated with “action star.” And, in speaking of hot women, you really can’t
do much better than featuring both Jessica Biel AND Kate Beckinsale, the latter
of whom has time-and-again proven her worth as a female badass; suffice it to
say that these two casting choices would guarantee a high level of interest
within the target male audience. I’ll
admit that Total Recall wasn’t at the
top of my “must-see” summer movie list, but given my massive crushes on both
Beckinsale and Biel, and the numerous trailers that featured high-energy action
and special effects, I found myself looking forward to this somewhat risky
August release.
Set after the devastation of a
third world war, Total Recall
introduces audiences to a world where Earth has been divided into two
superpowers as a result of chemical warfare rendering the rest of the planet
inhabitable; the two territories are designated as the United Federation of
Britain (UFB) and The Colony, and citizens travel between the two using a
gravity elevator that passes through the Earth’s core. Factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell)
has grown tired of his menial life within The Colony, so he decides to visit
Rekall, a company that implants false memories for a price, so that its clients
may experience any life that they desire.
While at Rekall, Quaid is tested for cognitive capability, but he fails
the test and is accused of being a spy; almost instantaneously, a SWAT team
appears and attempts to arrest Quaid, but he reacts instinctively and kills all
the officers. Returning home in a panic,
Quaid tries to explain the situation to his “loving” wife, Lori (Kate
Beckinsale), who immediately tries to kill Quaid and reveals her identity as an
undercover UFB agent who has been monitoring him for weeks under the guise of
marriage. Narrowly escaping, Quaid meets
up with a mysterious woman named Melina (Jessica Biel), whom he recognizes from
his recurring nightmares, and she tries her best to explain to Quaid the truth
behind his identity. Unsure of whom to
trust and on the run from ruthless forces, Quaid works to piece together the
truth and ends up uncovering a huge government conspiracy, one that involves
Chancellor Vilos Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston) of the UFB, and one that Quaid alone
will be able to stop.
Easily one of the most immersive
cinematic experiences in recent memory, Total
Recall goes out of its way to bring a futuristic reality to life, and once
viewers become acclimated to their new world, they are rewarded with suspenseful
and exciting action, delivered by ridiculously entertaining characters. Within the narrative world, though Earth may
now only be comprised of two colonies, that doesn’t make the scale of the film’s
production design any less impressive; from the buildings, to the modes of
transportation, to the cell phones, the level of detail and creativity
showcased through special effects is astounding and enough to send any geek
into an absolute fit. And for those
action junkies, from the moment that Beckinsale goes psychotic to the
explosion-filled climax, the levels of adrenaline flowing through the script
are off-the-charts; I wouldn’t be surprised if Beckinsale wins some kind of
award for the multiple combat sequences that she executed masterfully…talk
about the “wife” from hell. Add-in the
strong chemistry between Biel and Farrell and the menacing villainy of Bryan
Cranston, and the actors of Total Recall
offer viewers a number of engaging personalities who may conform to familiar
sci-fi archetypes, but are nonetheless fun to watch. However, once I got over the surprise of how
much I enjoyed this newest sci-fi adventure, I couldn’t help but notice that
the story and its pacing, though gutsy and thought-provoking, would still have benefited from further refining.
In tackling subject matter that involves
altered perceptions, false memories, espionage conspiracies, and political
overtones, Total Recall doesn’t shy
away from telling a complicated story; thankfully, things didn’t end up a
disaster, but that doesn’t mean that viewers aren’t subjected to a few
unanswered questions. Until you get used
to the pacing of the storytelling, it is a little confusing to keep track of
everything that occurs on-screen, but for every plot hole related to the
over-arching conspiracy, there is a scene that can only be described as brilliant;
for instance, the scene in which the police try to convince Quaid that he needs
to return to “reality” is so thought-provoking and philosophically-debatable
that you cannot help but draw comparisons to Inception. Plain-and-simple,
everything may not fit together logically in this film, but if you really want
to try and logically explain everything that occurs within the sci-fi genre,
than movie-going in general for you must be a miserable experience. And finally, the last gripe that I have with Total Recall has to do with the fact
that the film blatantly borrows from other popular titles; some elements of Quaid’s
struggle to figure out his identity are straight out of The Bourne Identity, while the epic car-chase from the trailers brings
up too many memories associated with Minority
Report. Still, in the end, when
weighed against the project in its entirety, the shortcomings that I have
identified within Total Recall are
easily forgiven, and not enough to weaken the overall appeal of the film.
In retrospect, when you consider
just how entertaining Total Recall is
as a summer offering, it is incredibly disappointing that more audiences weren’t
willing to give this newest entry in the sci-fi genre a chance. True, trying to dethrone The Dark Knight Rises is one hell of a tall order, but a $25
million, second place opening has to hurt, especially when weighed against a
hefty $125 million production budget.
Maybe marketing didn’t do an effective enough a job in distancing this
remake from the original, or maybe potential viewers were poisoned by the
largely lukewarm critical response.
Personally, I don’t understand what critics have against Total Recall, because as a summer film,
it stands far above other releases from the 2012 Summer Movie Season that have
garnered far more undeserved praise.
Bottom line, whether you hold the original in some kind of fanatical
reverence, or are someone who enjoys the sci-fi genre, or are a member of the
male demographic that unanimously drools over Kate Beckinsale, the truth is
that you cannot afford to miss Total
Recall.
Overall Recommendation: High
