Remakes are a tricky thing. They typically end up trying too
hard to copy the original material and failing or stray too far from the
original material unsuccessfully. Total
Recall is neither of those things.
Rather, it is inspired from the original classic film and offers a new
spin on things that not only exceeds its predecessor, but could very well be
one of the best sci-fi action films in years.
Utilizing beautifully designed sets and fantastic CGI, the
director has created an amazing world that looks great but also has depth and
life in this vision of the future that is part Blade Runner meets 5th
Element. The story goes that the Earth
has been ravaged by war and now only two countries remain, both at opposite
ends of the planet. In order to travel
from one to the other a massive elevator of a sort is used to travel through
the Earth (yes, through it) at intense speeds.
The world also suffers from over-population, making living space the
most important resource in this world.
Without spoiling anything else, let’s just say that living space is the
center of the plot. And like the
original film, the main hero is bored with his life and using Rekall, discovers
his entire life is a lie. This leads to
some very impressive stunts, chase sequences and action that looks fantastic
and flows with ease from scene to scene.
The cast of characters all have life to them and have diverse chemistry
that makes their interaction enjoyable and fun.
