Philip K. Dick’s 1966 short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” gets a new look with a remake of 1990’s “Total Recall” that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger with director Len Wiseman and actor Colin Farrell taking over the helm.
It’s the end of the 21st century and the world as we know it has changed. Due to a chemical warfare, mankind can now only live in two regions of the world — the United Federation of Britain and the crowded Colony.
Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), a factory worker and his wife Lori (Kate Beckinsale) live an unhappy life in the Colony. Violent dreams haunt Quaid and in order to escape them he visits Rekall, a company that offers virtual vacations through mental implementation. Things go wrong during the procedure and Quaid is under attack and on the run.
Freedom fighter Melina (Jessica Biel) becomes a guide and protector for Quaid, and it is also revealed that she has some history with him.
Throughout the course of the movie, Quaid finds out that he has visited Rekall before and that his wife Lori is not who she says she is. Now Quaid has to fight for his life and remember his true identity.
Farrell is no Schwarzenegger physically, but he gets the job done as an action hero.
Biel and Beckinsale are no damsels in distress in this movie — both women end up going head to head as intensely as any male action hero can.
The action scenes and special effects help bring this sci-fi world to life and are what really make this film, as the storyline is a bit weak. The effects make the fictional world look very believable and something that could actually be a realistic possibility in the future.
There really is no need to watch Paul Verheven’s original 1990 version, only if to see the differences between the two as this remake can stand on its own.
The plot in this version does not draw from the entire storyline of the short story like its predecessor. It instead tries to build its own story that at times falls somewhat flat.
Technology has incredibly improved to since the original film was released more than two decades ago and the futuristic elements in this version are enough to convince audiences that they are something tangible in the years to come.
This is a perfect action movie, but don’t expect a brilliant storyline.
“Total Recall” premiered on Aug. 3 and is currently in theaters now.
