A massive action movie with a genuinely clever science-fiction idea underneath it.
Nerdy Up North Podcast
The setup
Douglas Quaid dreams obsessively about Mars and visits Rekall to have the memory of a secret-agent adventure implanted. The procedure goes wrong, apparently uncovering suppressed memories and sending Quaid into a violent conspiracy that may or may not be real.
Total Recall is exactly the kind of sci fi action movie that could only really have come out of the late 80s or early 90s. It is violent, weird, funny, completely over the top and somehow still manages to have a story that makes you question what is actually real.
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Douglas Quaid, a normal construction worker who becomes obsessed with the idea of going to Mars. Instead of actually travelling there, he visits Recall, a company that implants fake memories so people can experience holidays and adventures without ever leaving Earth. Obviously, things go horribly wrong.
One of the best things about Total Recall is that it works as a proper action movie while still giving you something to think about. You can just enjoy Arnie shooting people, throwing out one liners and running around Mars, but there is always that question in the background about whether any of it is actually happening.
That is what makes it stand out from a lot of Schwarzenegger's other action films. It is completely ridiculous, but underneath all of that there is a genuinely clever sci-fi idea.
The violence is absurd, the effects are disgusting in the best possible way and almost every character looks like they have wandered in from some completely insane comic book. You get mutants, exploding heads, people being sucked out into the Martian atmosphere and enough fake blood to fill a swimming pool.
Arnie is obviously great in it. He was never the most subtle actor in the world, but Total Recall does not need subtle. He fits the movie perfectly. He gets loads of ridiculous one liners, huge action scenes and some of the most memorable facial expressions of his entire career.
Michael Ironside is also brilliant as Richter. He has that perfect 80s/90s villain energy where he constantly looks like he is about two seconds away from murdering somebody.
The practical effects are another massive part of why the movie still works. Some of them definitely look dated now, but I would take these weird, rubbery, disgusting practical effects over perfect looking CGI any day. They give the movie so much personality.
And then there is the ending. Was everything real? Did Quaid actually save Mars? Or is he still sitting inside Recall experiencing the fantasy he paid for?
The movie gives you enough evidence for both answers and then basically leaves you to decide for yourself. I love that because it makes the whole film even more interesting after it has finished.
Total Recall is violent, funny, intelligent and ridiculous
It is one of Schwarzenegger's best movies and easily one of the most entertaining sci-fi action films of its era.
Positives
Makes me wish I had 3 hands
Verdict
Total Recall is exactly the sort of film that proves big dumb action and smart science fiction do not have to be opposites. It gives you exploding heads and existential uncertainty in the same package.
