Netflix Sci-Fi Action Blockbuster Remake Needs More Fans
Anytime a remake of a classic sci-fi film is released, it’s inevitably going to be compared to the original, often as harshly as possible. That’s the case with the 2012 Total Recall remake, which was almost universally panned when it was released. But you should give the film another chance and stream it on Netflix this week if you’re looking for something to watch.
Total Recall Again
While there’s little doubt that the 1990 version of Total Recall is superior to the 2012 remake, the remake still constructs an interesting world from Philip K Dick’s short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, which both films are based on.
The film sort of falls apart in the back half, but it has a good setup and solid performances from its main cast, which includes Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, John Cho, and Bill Nighy.
Be Careful What You Wish For
The Total Recall remake takes place on a dystopian Earth (unlike the Mars setting of the original) and follows factory worker Douglas Quaid (Farrell) who decides to visit a company that can turn your dreams into memories. Quaid decides to undergo a procedure that would give him the memories of a superspy, only to become a man on the run. He then teams up with a rebel (Biel) to take down the leader of the world (Cranston).
Suffered From An Inflated Budget
The Total Recall remake managed to bring in $211.8 million but was still considered a box office bomb, and critics didn’t have much good to say about it. But the film definitely isn’t completely without merits. The action sequences are a step-up from the original thanks to modern effects, and it has some thought-provoking ideas inspired by the Philip K. Dick novel it draws from.
The film is pretty slick and doesn’t deserve to fall into the outright bomb category, especially if it deters studios from greenlighting Philip K Dick-related projects in the future.
The Original Is An All-Time Sci-Fi Classic
The original Total Recall was directed by sci-fi master Paul Verhoeven and starred a classic cast that includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, and Michael Ironside. The project went through years of development hell and still managed to be a box office hit and audience favorite, but the film isn’t necessarily unimpeachable.
In a vacuum, the Total Recall remake may have been considered a pretty decent movie, but since it never lived up to its predecessor, it was deemed unnecessary.
Give The Second Total Recall A Fair Shot
REVIEW SCORE
This is a fair assessment if you’re a big fan of the original Total Recall, but not every remake or reboot ends up being a bad thing. Many of us are tired of remakes and reboots, but taking a shot at classic sci-fi material always has potential. While the remake of Total Recall shouldn’t necessarily be considered a masterpiece, it’s still worth a watch and certainly not worthy of its “worst remake of all time” label.
If you’ve never seen the original Total Recall you might even think the remake is a pretty good movie. But then again, it’s not perfect by any means, so you’ll have to decide for yourself. You can watch the remake on Netflix now.
