9. Self-Seriousness
The 1990 Total Recall falls into that hugely entertaining pantheon of late 80s-early 90s films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, including
Commando, Predator, and
The Running Man that did anything but take themselves too seriously; packed with one-liners that accentuated Arnie's goofy charm, alongside ridiculous action sequences, these films remain some of the most beloved of the action behemoth's career, and indeed, of the genre altogether. The 1990 Total Recall, with its bizarre mutant characters, talking, automated cabs, and sly sense of humour, became an instant box office smash, and has remained an indelible cult classic over time. As for Wiseman's take, one of the prime issues is that it takes itself far too seriously; aside from Quaid's brief interaction with the three-breasted hooker - derived from the original as it is - there is practically no attempt to play fast-and-loose with the premise. It is almost completely joyless and humourless, overly invested in its own import, and as such stripping away much of the personality that made the original film such a riotous hoot. This only further reflects the cynicism with which the project was concocted, more a business transaction than a concerted effort to pay due to the 1990 version, and it's reflected in the poor box office reciepts, having grosed a pitiful $134m in the three weeks since its release (against a $125m budget).