Total Recall (1990) Review

"Get your ass to Mars!

-Hauser

Doug Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a seemingly average guy.  He works as a construction worker and has a beautiful wife, Lori (Sharon Stone).  But Doug has recurring dreams of being on Mars with a beautiful brunette woman and wants to go to the red planet, but Lori won't let him.  Quaid decides to go to a company called Rekall, which implants realistic memories inside one's mind.  Quaid pays for a special experience, where he will be a secret agent with a mission on Mars, but just before the implant begins, the employees of Rekall discover that Quaid was actually a secret agent on Mars, but had his memory erased.  Suddenly on the run, with hitmen trying to kill him and no one to trust, Quaid has to try and find a way to Mars to learn the secrets of his true identity, but is all of this real, or did the implant actually work?  Quaid has to figure out what is real before the damage he causes becomes too great to undo.

What Works:

I am usually not big on sci-fi movies.  It really takes something special for me to find them interesting.  Apparently, Paul Verhoeven is something special, because this is his 3rd sci-fi movie I've seen that I've loved (RoboCop and Starship Troopers being the other two).  His direction and everything he puts into the film is well crafted and interesting.  The more Verhoeven films I watch, the more my respect and admiration for him grows.

What I like the most about Total Recall is the story.  There are a fantastic amount of twists and turns.  Several times throughout the movie, I thought I knew for sure where the film was going, but I was dead wrong more than once.  I'm so used to predictable movies that this was really an awesome experience.  Not knowing what is real and having a protagonist unsure of who they really are is really interesting and made for a very dynamic story.

The practical effects in this movie are amazing and disturbing.  The mutants are tough to look at, especially the character of Kuato.  Looking at him made me actually lose my appetite.  But it's not just the mutants, the sets, and the miniatures all look amazing and it made for a very immersive film.  Best of all are the fake heads used for the decompression scenes.  I have a irrational fear of eyeballs, so these decompression scenes were utter nightmare fuel for me, yet I couldn't look away, they were that incredible.  

Finally, there is the Governator himself, Arnold.  There is a reason that guy has had such a successful career in both film and politics.  That man has charisma that blows the roof off.  He's so likable and funny and brings such life to the film, you can't help but root for him, no matter what's he's doing.

What Sucks:

My only real complaint (and it's pretty minor), is that I didn't find Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox) a very compelling villain.  I mean, he's not bad, but I do think he is the weakest part of the film.  Again, it's a very minor complaint.

Verdict:

Total Recall is more proof that Paul Verhoeven may just be the best sci-fi director.  The movie was a blast to watch, due to a charismatic performance from Arnold Schwarzenegger, incredible practical effects, a truly immersive world, and a really interesting story.  Without a doubt, Total Recall has got it going on.

 9/10: Great