Total Recall
2012, Sci-fi/Action, 1h 57m
238 Reviews 100,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
While it boasts some impressive action sequences, Total Recall lacks the intricate plotting, wry humor, and fleshed out characters that made the original a sci-fi classic. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Douglas Quaid, Hauser
Lori
Melina
Cohaagen
Harry
Matthias
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Critic Reviews for Total Recall
Audience Reviews for Total Recall
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May 07, 2016"Total Recall" is another one of Hollywood's unnecessary remakes of a 1990's action movie. The plot to "Total Recall" is that a man named "Doug Quaid" portrayed by "Collin Farrell" feels bored with his life and goes to a company named "Rekall" which is a virtual reality that makes a fantasy seem real. Later on an error occurs and all hell breaks loose. The movie opens as the 1990 film did by "Quiad" having one of his nightmares also known as memories. The scene is entertaining to watch but other than that the first 20 minutes of the film are slow and boring to watch. Throughout the most of the movie it shows "Quaid" psychologically processing what is happening while also fighting people off. These scenes are great to watch but at points the movie becomes hard to understand which shouldn't happen. The movie's climax was entertaining to watch but didn't give the audience an overall satisfaction. "Colin Farrell" gives the audience a dramatic and a thrilling performance as "Quaid", he may not do as good of a job as "Arnold Schwarzenegger" back in 1990 but he still gives a superb performance. "Harry Gregson-Williams" gives film score was at times doesn't make scenes feel adrenaline pumping or exciting. The biggest issue with this movie is the cinematography; the first action-sequence is filmed horribly and after 2 minutes is a challenge to watch. Throughout the movie it isn't as bad as the first sequence. If you are a person who enjoyed the 1990 thrill ride known as "Total Recall" then I recommend you watch 2012's "Total Recall" as it has superb acting, entertaining scenes and an okay plot. Although the movie is not perfect it has some issues, these being the first 20 minutes being slow, unentertaining music and cinematography issues. I give 2012's "Total Recall" a 6.5/10.
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Aug 25, 2015Okay, so its not the original, but what is any more? What is "original", f'cryinoutloud? Ain't it only a conceit? Taken on its own merits then, there's plenty of action and adventure here - they're in some futuristic environment - with plenty of chases and shooting and punching robot stormtroopers, the meat and potatoes this genre demands, so what else do ya want? Bad reputations aren't always justified. This delivers the goods.
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Mar 23, 2014In "Total Recall," Douglas Quaid(Colin Farrell) has not been having a good time of it lately that goes beyond his lousy factory job and hovel of a home in the Colony. Now, he has to work double shifts due to Chancellor Cohaagen's(Bryan Cranston) ramping up his own personal war on terror and is denied a promotion through no fault of his own. So, Quaid seeks a little escape. After conflicting reviews, he chooses it of the virtual kind in Rekall, what with his wife Lori(Kate Beckinsale) also having to work long hours. But then everything goes sideways and filled with bullets. This remake of "Total Recall" does admittedly have certain things going for it, even while ignoring the mind games even more than the original.(For the record, I accept everything I see on screen at face value unless there are penguins involved.) That involves some inventive world building, a social consciousness & relevance, white knuckle moments and a very good performance from Colin Farrell. But none of that means much when there is a story that is purely by the numbers, thus reminding us why any movie worth its salt should not be remade. However, if one had to remake the original "Total Recall," then I suppose one creative way would have been to treat the first movie as fictional in that universe, and build on that in the most meta way possible.
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Dec 25, 2013You can skip this one.
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