Not
having seen the original  1990  “”Total Recall” movie I have nothing to
compare it and am left wondering if as much glass was shattered in the
first as there is in this 2012 remake? As in most sci-fi pictures what
is fact and what is fiction seems to be left to the writer and I usually
get lost almost half way through but here, due to the designer of the
production, Patrick Tatopoulos, the screen holds your interest of what
tomorrow may look like. Whether it be the United Federation of Britain
or the Colony of Australia you know we will be living in a vertical
world and transportation will consist of huge, round elevators that pass
through the core of the earth in 15 minutes where you must be strapped
down or you will defy gravity. Disappointing to me was that you still
have to shave both hands of the steering wheel!

The
hero, Quaid, or is it Hauser?, played by Colin Farrell, lives in the
past, the present and, sometimes, in the future and both he and the
audience are never sure when he is where. In whatever time zone he is in
he has a beautiful and fierce fighting woman by his side, the present
represented by Kate Beckinsale and the past by Jessica Biel or is the
latter also in the present? Cohaagen, Bryan Cranston, is the Chancellor
 of the UFB looking to put down a revolution led by Matthiias, Bill
Nighy and because of the two women he is forced between the two men.

With
special effects in the forefront of so many movies these days “Total
Recall” heads the class with the army of robots, a city rising up on
many levels, flying car chases not to forget fights that go where very
few pictures have gone. Along with these fights, as mentioned before,
this picture must hold the record of smashed glass, usually by human
bodies. With the latter if people watching this film held a drinking
game where they downed a shot each time Colin Farrell was thrown, or
jumped, 10 to 20 plus flights of various buildings, and elevator shafts,
without breaking an ankle, let alone a foot or other body parts, the
audience would be drunk very fast. Another way the drinking game can go
is downing one each time the word feces, in its slang version, is used,
they may hold a drinking record as I don’t think. it has every been used
so much in any other film!

The
actors do a good job though it seems as if Kate Beckinsale couldn’t
make up her mind between a British, American or Australian accent and
when the women fight it is hard at times to tell who is who which easily
could have been solved by the hair and makeup department. It’s hard to
see Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the role of Quaid though I think he
would demand more attention.

The
film was directed by Len Wiseman, written by Kurt Wimmer and Mark
Bomback, all who do their best to make an  entertaining film, but
Patrick Tatopoulos is the ‘star’ of “Total Recall”. Due to his work this
is a film that has to be seen on a movie screen!

By the way, though I am anti cellphone, I want to be the first to sign up for the ‘palm’ phone!