Total Recall
Directed by Paul VerhoevenDouglas Quaid is haunted by a recurring dream about a journey to Mars. He hopes to find out more about this dream and buys a holiday at Rekall Inc. where they sell implanted memories. But something goes wrong with the memory implantation and he remembers being a secret agent fighting against the evil Mars administrator Cohaagen. Now the story really begins and it's a rollercoaster ride until the massive end of the movie.
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Total Recall Ratings & Reviews
- EnochLightMarch 11, 2025Classic Paul Verhoeven, it's a miracle this film even got made - having been stuck in developmental hell for so many years and once considered to be unfilmable. Thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger - who single-handedly saved this film (after Dino De Laurentiis's DEG went bankrupt) by convincing a small indie studio called Carolco to purchase the rights, A few re-writes later and things were underway, with Schwarzenegger essentially acting as executive producer. Many regard Verhoeven's 1987 "Robocop" as a superior film, but I have to disagree: "Total Recall" takes everything to the next level, in spectacle as well as story telling. As the original short story that it was based on (Philip K. Dick's "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale") could barely fill 30 pages, sending our protagonist to actual Mars was a stroke of genius - and largely one of the reasons why this film was considered unfilmable for so many years. This film is worth seeing just for the miniature sets alone, and the practical effects such as fat suits, face masks, and mutant prosthetics are nothing short of perfect for its time, and most still hold up today. The story is compelling, and once again allows Verhoeven to immerse the viewer in the corporate greed and satire that he focused on in "Robocop" (even featuring Ronny Cox as our corporate villain once again), while also adding an otherworldly take on an Indiana Jones subplot featuring ancient Martian aliens. Filled with classic one-liners, gratuitous violence (almost to the point of being comical), and an ending that is pure spectacle, this film is a masterpiece and worthy of being called one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. It certainly remains in the pantheon, anyway. Jerry Goldsmith's score is brilliant, with the main theme almost echoing Basil Poledouris' "Conan: The Barbarian" with electronics. Taking into consideration Schwarzenegger essentially played executive producer, this is not surprising - but welcome. "Total Recall" would go on to be financially and critically successful, and paved the way for Verhoeven to create his apex of satire with 1997's "Starship Troopers" (another brilliant sci-fi classic). Watch it! And kiss me before I wake up.
- DjpNovember 26, 2025Great movie
- Michael SurberNovember 21, 2025Total 80s cheese is more like it. A lot of fun for the most part but it hasn't aged very well.
- tellumAugust 17, 2025Vacation anywhere but Mars.
- Neon GhloesAugust 3, 2025This would be a 5 star movie if Michael Ironside wasn't THE RAPIEST human on Earth! My gawd! This is uncomfortable to wartch alone! Let alone wartch with anyone that doesn't force themselves upon others without their consent...
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025Have been struggling for a while to figure out when it’s appropriate to watch this with my kids. I call this The Three Booby Problem. Decided to pull the trigger this week. My wife being out of town may have played into that decision. The movie still holds up remarkably well. Two Weeks! is still my absolute favorite moment. So much sci-fi goodness. Was hoping we would get that Hologram watch in real life before we got the Cybertruck. Alas. Unfortunately, my youngest, Mav, didn’t really vibe with it though. (But what does he know? He loved The Garfield Movie) My older kids had a good time. Feels like one of those movies everyone should see at least once. Definitely a fun one to revisit.
- pipanniJune 20, 2025My favorite Arnold movie. Such a great story, filled to the brim with clever dialogue and memorable scenes. The modern remake can't hold a candle to this version (even though I like the cast). "See you at the party, Richter!"
- tyler chapmanJune 5, 2025What an amszing movie anry delivered
- sopulaMay 29, 2025Just a neat movie, like a birthday gift Lots of fun
