Total Reblog

Paul Verhoeven's 1990 sci-fi thriller Total Recall is both interesting and hilarious, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. The plot follows Douglas Quaid, (Schwarzenegger) a secret agent from Mars who has had his memory erased, and slowly regains it throughout the movie to learn that he is in fact an evil mastermind. There are two parallel stories throughout the film; one where Quaid is really a spy, and the other in which all the events are merely a dream simulated by Rekall, a company that Quaid goes to in order to get memories of a "vacation" to Mars planted in his brain.

The movie is based upon a short story by Philip K Dick, who also wrote the story on which Minority Report was based, and in fact was originally going to be the sequel to Total Recall.
Paul Verhoeven also directed the classics RoboCop, Basic Instinct, and Starship Troopers, among others.

While there is considerable intricacy in the plot, there are other elements that are hilarious and entertaining. Especially now, almost 20 years after the film was released, many of the visual effects and styles are a blast from the past, in a good way. The film recieved an Academy Award for Special Acheivement in Visual Effects.

Another truly memorable part of Total Recall is Arnie's excellent acting. There are so many quotes from this movie that are funny only from Schwarzenegger's mouth.

"If I'm not me, who da hell am I?"

"Get your ass to Mars!"

"Come on, don't bullshit me!"


Total Recall is packed with original ideas from security systems to JohnnyCab to exploding heads, special effects, Arnie, crazy plot twists: this film is definitely a must see.