Total Recall

One of the most complex and visually interesting science fiction movies in a long time.

The fierce and unrelenting pace, accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek strain of humor in the roughhouse screenplay, keeps the film moving like a juggernaut.

Fast, witty, glamorous, with thrill piling on giggle atop gasp. [11 June 1990, p.85]

A first-rate action movie, slickly done and with so many imaginative bonuses that, for a time, it feels like a classic in the making. It's not, but it's still solid and entertaining [1 June 1990]

Actually, any fun you might encounter in Recall can be traced, most often, to director Verhoeven, who injects some of his "Robocop" camp into this mega-dumb project.

The plot, based on a Phillip K. Dick story, is ingenious; and Arnold Schwarzenegger brings an effective blend of machismo and innocence to his role. Too bad director Paul Verhoeven lets brainless violence and tricky special effects swamp the cleverness of the tale itself. [22 June 1990, Arts, p.10]

The overall effect is like wading through hospital waste. Verhoeven, who also directed the maliciously stylistic "Robocop," disappoints with this appalling onslaught of blood and boredom.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Schwarzynator tourne avec Verhoeven et le résultat est à tout le moins explosif : un film d'action mené tambour battant fait de courses-poursuites, de fusillades et de bastons... et d'explosions. Même les effets spéciaux très élaborés pour l'époque ont fort bien vieilli. Le film est indéniablement spectaculaire, solidement réalisé et bien entendu, Verhoeven oblige, d'une joyeuse violence : le Batave ne lésine en effet jamais sur l'hémoglobine et quelques effets gore... on en rit encore. Paul Verhoeven aime également nous montrer les mutants bizarres et/ou défigurés de Mars via des maquillages très beurks, caricaturant ainsi ce qui constitue d'une certaine manière le fonds de commerce de toute la science-fiction populaire... bref, il ne manque pas d'air ! Cependant, on ne retrouve pas l'ironie plus mordante de ses autres films ici : ce que l'on voit dans Total Recall ressemble plus à du fan service vite emballé et expédié dans la grosse production triple A hollywoodienne. L'adaptation de la nouvelle de Philip K. **** a subi peu ou prou le même traitement et ne fait que survoler la question de l'identité et des faux-semblants **** : elle est devenue un prétexte à un gros -et divertissant certes- film d'action de gros bêta. Rien à voir avec le soin apporté à un Blade Runner... Notons la prestation remarquée d'une blonde sublimement épineuse qui va faire parler d'elle en tout cas : Sharon Stone ! Quant à Schwarzenegger, certainement "efficace" pour faire le ménage, la pauvreté de son jeu, ou son absence plutôt, est vraiment pénible à voir et à constater. En fait, si Total Recall est loin d'être mauvais, il n'est pas bon pour autant. Tout y est efficace mais trop superficiel : il y a décidément trop de pop-corn dans ce film.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

It is clearly well directed and visually, it is still an impressive-looking movie but there is just so much that takes me out of it. There's a lot of filler in this movie tbh, They easily could have cut out 15-20 minutes and really help move things along. The cast also leaves a lot more to be desired as well. Clearly carried by Arnold, The rest of the cast just doesn't match what he is bringing to the table. The lack of a quality villain knocks it back for me as well. Oddly enough, I actually prefer the remake over this.

Paul Verhoeven made this movie in 1990 and it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Marshall Bell, Ronny Cox, Rachel Ticotin and Michael Ironside.... TOTAL RECALL is a sci-fi action thriller and it isn't very good. The main villain who is Cohaagen played by Ronny Cox is about as intimidating as a teletubby. Michael Ironside was okay but not brilliant and Sharon Stone was excellent giving what crap story she had to work with and she looked beautiful. All the mutants were ridiculous, hideous and brought no positivity to the film especially the woman with 3 boobs as that's laughable , disturbing, cheesey and stupid. The action scenes were not great and the only two positive things in the whole movie was Sharon Stone and the blood. The rest of the movie including more or less all the characters, the acting and the action scenes felt awful and so did the fact the mutants drink in a bar on Mars. So laughably unrealistic it's unreal and even Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't that great so my opinion of Total Recall is I'm afraid weak. Terrible excuse for a film.