review by Cohaagen
Total Recall 1990
Rewatched Jun 28, 2012
Cohaagen’s review:
I just love everything about this film: the practical effects; the over the top violence; Ronny Cox chewing the scenery like a man possessed, Michael Ironside’s sulky and snarling performance; Sharon Stone looking better than she ever has; Arnie’s super camp run after killing the gang lead by “Harry from verk”; the security guard who doesn’t even wait until he’s out of shot before giving up the chase after Doug Quaid smashes through the X-ray scanner, with a gun. There are a million other things but I’ll stop there as I could be at it all night otherwise.
Then at the centre of it all is the big man himself, playing an everyman as only a gigantic genetic freak like him can. Many people say it would be a better film without Arnold Schwarzenegger, but for me he’s the pumped up cherry atop a gloriously over filled cake.
Everyone should watch this film and relax, they’d live longer.
One of my favorite things about this film is the look of it. It's hard to explain, but it has this feel to it. The office, the apartment where Quaid lives, the hotel on Mars... It just looks so nice. That blocky, stark, concrete look is so charming in its own way.
I know what you mean, I really like that aspect too. I've always been a fan of Brutalist style architecture.
What are your thoughts on there being a remake?
I’m certainly intrigued by the remake, and I’m sure I’ll see it at some point, but I don’t know if I’ll be in any rush to catch it at the cinema.
I love all of the over the top and satirical elements that Paul verhoeven brought to the original, and really don’t expect the new one to be too similar in that regard. It looks like a very different film in tone and closer to the original short story. I quite like Colin Farrell but obviously his performance will be night and day to Arnie. Len Wiseman directing doesn’t really get my expectations up too much. One thing that I do think will be interesting is Bryan Cranston as Cohaagen. I imagine him playing it completely different from Ronny Cox and I’m quite curious to see that.
Overall it seems to be a pretty unnecessary film to me.
My thought's are pretty much the same, Farrell usually does a good job in action films, but he's trying to replace one of the best action stars of all time. I don't think Wiseman is that great, but I have re-watched Underworld and Die Hard 4 more than a few times, so I guess he does his job well in that regard.
I still see the film going down pretty well, but I don't think anybody's banking on it being better than the original.
"Total Recall" my favorite, non-series, sci-fi film. A remake seems needless, but I'm interested in seeing how it all comes together.
"Sharon Stone looking better than she ever has"
Wrong. The correct answer would be THE QUICK AND THE DEAD.
;-P