Total Recall (1990)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers (WGA):

Philip K. Dick (short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale") (inspiration)
Ronald Shusett (screen story) ...

Release Date:

1 June 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

They stole his mind, now he wants it back.

Plot:

When a man goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real, or does he?

Plot Keywords:

Mars | Memory | Dream | False Memory | Vacation

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Douglas Quaid / Hauser
Rachel Ticotin	...	Melina
Sharon Stone	...	Lori
Ronny Cox	...	Vilos Cohaagen
Michael Ironside	...	Richter
Marshall Bell	...	George / Kuato
Mel Johnson Jr.	...	Benny
Michael Champion	...	Helm
Roy Brocksmith	...	Dr. Edgemar
Ray Baker	...	Bob McClane
Rosemary Dunsmore	...	Dr. Lull
David Knell	...	Ernie
Alexia Robinson	...	Tiffany
Dean Norris	...	Tony
Mark Carlton	...	Bartender

Also Known As:

El vengador del futuro (USA: Spanish title)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | Australia:M (cut) | Australia:MA (re-rating) (2005) | Australia:R (original rating) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1991) | USA:R (certificate #30288) | New Zealand:M | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1990) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2001) | Germany:16 (cut version) | Iceland:16 | USA:X (original rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:16 | India:A | Argentina:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:18 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Estudios Churubusco Azteca, Mexico City, México D.F., Mexico

Company:

Carolco International N.V.

Trivia:

During Quaid's Rekall orientation, a monitor momentarily shows an illustration of a green Martian from Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian novels.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Harry turns off his jackhammer (Quaid is talking to him), he makes the motion of flipping a switch on the back of the tool to stop it, but there is no switch. The back of the tool is smooth.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Doug awakens from a nightmare]
Lori: Doug? Honey, are you all right?
[nods]
Lori: You were dreaming. Doug? Was it about Mars?
[nods]
Lori: [kisses him] Is that better?
Douglas Quaid: Hmm.
Lori: My poor baby. This is getting to be an obsession.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Chao ji xue xiao ba wang (1993)

Soundtrack:

Rubble City

Action sci-fi at it's best..

Total Recall is without doubt Arnold Schwarzenegger's best movie since The Terminator. Arnold fits perfectly in the role of Doug Quaid (definitely his best acting in a movie to date) the confused construction worker and Ronny Cox provides his usual evil plotting arch bad-guy. The impressive visual effects are worth the movie's $100million price tag, and Paul Verhoeven proved that, as with Robocop and Starship Troopers, sci-fi is where he does his best work.

What does spoil films like these, however, are people who cannot grasp the concept of Science FICTION, and refuse to suspend their belief for 2 hours(a vital part of enjoying these movies). Movies like this don't work without the overplayed violence, cheesy one-liners and stunning effects. Take away any of these elements and you no longer have a sci-fi action movie.

Chill out, check out and enjoy...