Total Recall - Movie Review

You know, for some reason I have this sneaky suspicion I have seen this movie before.  If only I had a better memory and could remember.  Just kidding.  Before I begin I would like to say this.  I like apple pie and I like cherry pie.  I do like both pies equally the same for the qualities that they have.  I love the sweetness of the apples mixed with the cinnamon and the sugar but on the other hand I love the sweet tartness of the cherries and the gooey sauce that surrounds them.  With both pies I love how the crust can be flaky and buttery with just the right texture to hold the pies all together but still soft and flaky enough that a fork can cut through and the crust melts in your mouth with caramelized sugar coating the top of it.

That being said, Total Recall with Farrell, Beckinsale and Biel would be like a apple pie that went wrong and Total Recall with Arnie, Stone and Ironside would be like a cherry pie with a few mistakes as well.  From now on let me discuss the merits, or flaws, of the apple pie Total Recall with Farrell.  The action in this film was quite good.  Plenty of jumps, shots, explosions and action to keep a guy like me interested in and almost disguised the flimsy plot and tiny little problems in the film that would have me scratching my head.  All I can say is that not only is the population in the future totally stupid but they are apparently living in a world without safety back ups and restrictions.  In this day and age where I can't get a coffee without warning labels or even open doors without passcards or keys, apparently you can jump around the inner workings of mass transportation vehicles with a twist of a handle or manually pulling the door open.

Acting wise was not too bad though a little on the flimsy side.  Farrell does play a lost and confused person quite well, though I think he had a lot of outside help to draw on for the confusion part.  Such as asking himself repeatedly "how exactly did I get convinced to be in this film?".  Beckinsale does a great job playing the wife/agent assigned to Farrell and is in charge of bringing him down.  She convinced me that she is one twisted and vengeful woman.  Hell hath no fury than that of a women ticked off for sure in this film.  On the whole, I would say that the cast was rather interesting in their performances and had moments of true depth but on the whole nothing really spectacular to write about.

In total I would say that while this movie was not exactly like the Arnie movie of Total Recall it was just another take on the short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale".  Both movies had their differences like the pies have their apples to cherries, while both movies had their similarities like a pie has crust and sugar topping.  They can not really be put side by side and judged but I would say that both of them have gotten the same rating in my mind.  I give them 2 out of 5 popped kernels of corn.  Not a bad movie to go and kill an afternoon or evening on but don't expect to take a date to this movie and impress them with your cinematography depth and perceptions.