After some reflection, I found out that I had watched the original "Total Recall" three times, which I can not say about any other film with Schwarzenegger's participation. Whether because of my brief fascination with fiction, my first encounter with Sharon Stone and Paul Vernon, or another series of casual events, I accept this movie as one of the top achievements of the 80s action-packed wavebangers wave. Significantly more accurate to Philippe Dick's narrative and totally superior to his follower as a suggestion, 1990's "Total Recall" is one of those commercial hits that quite accurately find their audience and provoke nostalgia whenever you come across them on TV.
There is nothing like this in the new version of Len Wieseman. The director of two episodes of "Underworld" and one of "Die Hard" has created a two-hour action-packed action scene in which both the story and the main characters are irretrievably lost. As a guide, he managed to lessen any possibility of a little more serious suggestion to the painfully familiar clichés of the genre. Not that someone was expecting a masterpiece, but what's the point of making a utopian story where the utopian thing is the landscape. The main part of the plot, which should be the engine of the action, has been hurried to one of the final scenes, and despite the efforts of Bill Ny, it does not sound convincing. In the name of the action, the opportunity to develop in the character of the main character is also sacrificed, which is a classic example of a split personality and would be a joy for every director. Last but not least, the humor of the first movie is missing, thanks to which one of the most cult words in the history of cinema is absent here. Colin Farrell takes the place of Schwarzenegger and, in general, his performance does not offer surprises, be it positive or negative. His skills, however, can not compensate for the flat image created by the screenwriters. Farrell is forced to do the same thing all the time, and very soon his character becomes uninteresting. This also applies to Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale, whose roles are reduced to a mandatory female presence, with emphasis on physical exercise and sexy costumes. Beckinsale's role is even broader than the original, which not only makes it more interesting, but also greatly complicates its task of retaining the impression of a provincial English beauty actress.
The participation in the episodic roles of Bill Ny and Brian Cranston can also be added to the many unrealized opportunities. Both of them have received a little bit of directorial attention, probably due to the relative staticity of their roles. Instead of being used as natural accents, they become the next detail that seeks to overcome the form over content.If there's a real star in the movie, it's the artist Patrick Tatopoulos. The vision he creates is the only thing that keeps the viewer's attention. Comparisons with "Blade Runner" are quite in place, and when it comes to memorable scenes, his contribution is significantly higher than that of the director. The only reason for reflection that the new version of "Total Recall" can give us is what makes sense to make a remake. If it's because of technology advances, it might be better to go to computer games. If not, cinema-makers would have to set a little higher goals than this, and on the backdrop of their new creations, the unpretentious originals would look like masterpieces.