Total Recall (1990)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Total Recall (1990) – P. Verhoeven

There’s a definite Cronenberg vibe to this Philip K. Dick adaptation, possibly due to the presence of Michael Ironside (Scanners) as a villain or the body horror in the depiction of rebel leader (and mutant) Kuato. In any event, this has that B-movie vibe that many of his earlier low-budget films also radiated.  So, I was surprised to find out a) this was one of the most expensive films of its day (must be the pre-CGI effects and sets); and b) it was directed by Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Basic Instinct, but also Starship Troopers).  Cronenberg was involved in the early stages but dropped out when the film changed into a vehicle for action star Arnold Swarzenegger – apparently, his vision (and that of screenwriter Dan O’Bannon of Alien fame) was originally closer to Dick’s original story. That said, Arnold does carry the film well and seems to revel in its weirdness – in one classic scene, he has a dialogue with a version of himself (from the past) and of course, he’s full of his usual one-liners.  Swarzenegger plays Doug Quaid who has dreams of going to Mars and signs up for a “virtual” trip in which false memories are to be implanted in his brain – he chooses the “secret agent” package which promises that he will fight bad guys, win the girl, and save the planet.  But things go horribly wrong and he soon discovers that he’s part of a big conspiracy (also involving his wife, Sharon Stone) that has involved erasing his brain and also oppressing the settlers on Mars, settlers who are reliant on the government for the air that they breathe.  The film does devolve a bit into a standard action flick (with a lot of violence) but to Verhoeven’s credit he manages to retain a bit of teasing ambiguity in the plot.  So, is this all just Doug Quaid’s implanted memory/dream or is it real? Fun stuff.