Total Recall

I just read the sci-fi novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (Blade Runner) and all of a sudden I got the urge to brush up on some of the film adaptations of Dick’s books. However, I saw Minority Report quite recently and Paycheck not long ago too. Blade Runner is almost impossible to find these days (well, perhaps not impossible, but certainly difficult :) and Verhoeven's Total Recall seemed the only suitable candidate. I have to say, I did well because I hadn't seen it in a few years, so I was very happy. Seeing Arnold’s shooting and wisecracking again("Sue me, dickhead!" and “Consider that a divorce!" are the best) is now a balm for my soul. Then there's Sharon as the perfect (almost perfect) wife any man would want. From a story point of view, there is almost nothing to criticize, because probably no other science fiction with this kind of surfing between dream and reality has even been created. Jerry Goldsmith's music is amazingly magical, perfectly matches the overall atmosphere, and, in the end, it (might just) take a share in expressing the movie’s message. (03/10/2006)

Originally, I had four stars in mind when I reminisced about the film's premiere in movie theaters years ago. Now I watched it again and I have moved on somewhat, and the overt B-movie popcorn simplicity bothers me now. The film reminds me of cheap mainstream adventure comics with sci-fi themes, which still lie in my library and shaped my taste at a certain time, but nowadays I read and watch different things. The classic sci-fi theme of Philip K. Dick's version has little in common with Paul Verhoeven's version, but it is appropriately action-packed, filled with chases, shooting, and bloody fights, so for a viewer who is not compelled to think, it is a joyride. Verhoeven traditionally does not shy away from brutal scenes, so fans can enjoy severed hands and blasted human bodies and protruding entrails. Nevertheless, it is one of the few better films where Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in the lead role. Though his performance here is not outstanding, he also does not descend into silliness. Overall impression: 55%. The film's strong point is the set design, which even years later does not feel outdated and was top-notch at the time of the film's release. A colorful sci-fi spectacle for teenagers. (09/12/2007)

The 1990s brought a lot of good things (like me :-D), but this sci-fi is not one of them, at least for me. Terrible sets (even sci-fi from previous years had a much better idea of the future), a story that really scrapes, music that likely didn't even make it to my ears. The only plus is Arnold's accent... Unfortunately, this cult didn't enchant me and left me cold. But definitely check it out – if there’s at least two of you – it will bring a little education. :-) (05/09/2010)

This whole Dick adaptation has one little hitch. Namely that they didn’t cast a more restrained actor than Arnie for the main role. I like him a lot, but he doesn't really fit into the paranoid adaptation of Dick's work with his character, even though he tries his best. Otherwise, everything is as it should be. Pace, effects, direction, and vision of the future. Along with the unbeatable Blade Runner, this is clearly the best movie adaptation of P. K. Dick. (16/03/2022)

In a nutshell, Total Recall is a great movie. I'd even go so far as to say that after Blade Runner, it's the best film adaptation of a Dick novel, this time with a superb performance by the brilliantly perverse Paul Verhoeven. His direction is dynamic and his relish in lots of blood and violence that is typical of him is irresistible in a way. The story is properly Dick-esque, dark with an ambiguous ending and that's how it should be. The visual effects are fantastic for their time and were deservedly rewarded with an Oscar. And I must not forget to highlight Jerry Goldsmith's imaginative soundtrack, which is impossible not to listen to and which is one of the best that the Master has composed. A sci-fi gem for the connoisseurs. (27/09/2003)