10 Movies Smarter Than Anyone Wants To Admit
2. Total Recall
Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, especially ones from the 80's, have a distinct reputation to them. They're fun, but unless James Cameron is the one in charge, then they're usually pretty dumb.
But one broke the mold, and that was Total Recall. Oh sure, it had all the action, stunts, blood and guts that one expects from the best of Arnold's work, but it has a lot more going on under the hood.
Underneath its explosions, blood soaked action, and some of the best practical effects of the 80's, lies the beating heart of the original Phillip K. Dick story it's based on. But while that story went off on its own tangent that works for a book, but might have been a bit too out there for audiences at the time, this story makes mostly great changes that turn it into its own story. But one that honors the themes of the original, while also delivering a good product.
A classic example of going off script, and coming out the other end spotless. Total Recall is the poster child for the importance of making changes for adaptations.