Total Recall Review

Total Recall equals this summer's totally unnecessary remake. Sure, this Sci-fi thriller has a few shining moments - neat visual effects, backed by one sexy cast, definitely an upgrade from the original. But when all is said and done, it’s totally forgettable. The action sequences, though cool at times, tried too hard to resemble the Bourne series. At times, I felt like I was watching a B-rate video game in slow-mo. There were too many action sequences and not enough mind games to balance them out.

Director Len Wiseman, who is married to Kate Beckinsale, made her an action star via the Underworld movies, and he continues that trend here. She is a total badass, Colin Farrell definitely needs a lot of help to keep his “wife” from completing her mission to destroy him.


While I was able to follow along (it's not rocket science), a little more clarity in regards to the plot-line would have been nice. Also, character development was lacking a bit. Sure, I wanted to good guys to prevail, but honestly, since I really couldn’t get attached to the characters, I really didn’t care what happen to any of them in the end.

Generally remakes are lazy, cynical attempts to cash in on nostalgia of past years and are usually irredeemably lame. This remake wasn't “lame” per se, but the fact that these movie producers and directors get paid millions on someone else’s idea is kind of annoying. Overall, I did enjoy this movie (it met my semi-low expectations), so it wasn’t a total waste of time, but it is a total renter at best.
RATING: C-

Thoughts?