Right off the bat, I'm using this as exhibit A against Robocop's upcoming remake. "Robocop" writer Paul Verhoeven's "Total Recall" is a Sci-Fi classic that slyly had its cake and ate it too. Many enjoy it as a standard Arnold Schwarzenegger action piece on the surface (complete with prerequisite quips as villains are dispatched) but quietly, it has been argued by many that it does its Philip K Dick source material proud by basically being the fever dream of its lead being lobotomized. Len Wiseman certainly knows action, and let it be said that his "Total Recall" remake is no exception. All the main named characters from tne original are present, even the notorious 3-breasted hooker. But... the result is decidedly bland, and that's really down to the film just running through something you've seen before. As anyone who's read Dick novels would likely agree, it's not really going to mess with your head if you know exactly what to expect. The original plays out like a standard action film and only reveals its possible truth on reexamination. It's surprising that a twist WASN'T devised to bend or double bluff the audience...but I'm betting they only saw the original, rather than read some book for their treatment.... Verhoeven's "Total Recall" suckered the audience into seeing a Dicksian twist within the context of a Schwarzenegger action film without even realizing it. Wiseman's remake treats that as an afterthought and puts more attention to ensuring crowds get the triple-breasted action they expect. ARGH: The aforementioned twist is executed precisely the same. It's like having rehearsed a surprise birthday party with the guest of honour. Also, the original, one of the last films to utilize entirely practical sets and matte paintings pre-CGI for a big budget sci-fi film, took us to Mars. Believably. Wiseman scales BACK and gives us a more political conflict (Gee, Len, substituting planet-hopping for politics worked great for the Star Wars prequels....) IRREPLACEABLE ELEMENT: I really had to think about this because there's so much beyond the twist, the action, and the lack of an Oak-sized Austrian that left this film feeling different in a bad way. The key here, for me, is Michael Ironside. He's capable of conveying more menace just by furrowing his brow in an elevator than most actors waving prop guns around yelling. And really, he could've just been any stock 80's grunt. The original "Total Recall" is a perfect storm of its parts and actors coming together with a solid script that has a hidden something to it as well. That twist is made that much easier to slip by you by the fact that its hero (Schwarzenegger) is taking you on a standard Ah-nold Action Movie ride, and lulling you into a false set of expectations. The fact his villains (Ronny Cox, Ironside, and a duplicitous and rather slutty Sharon Stone) are squeezing every ounce of badness onscreen they can only helps you believe in the surface Action film, and it's only later you appreciate that this film is a couple of different things, all equally enjoyable no matter what level you take them. The remade "Total Recall" is a straight action film that includes the twist the same way it includes the hooker - You expect it to be there, so there it is. The film's a checklist and nothing more; No surprises.
In a parallel universe where game shows' final jackpots and consequent fortunes depend on knowledge of obscure music trivia and Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker Doctor Who episodes, I've probably gone rich, insane, and am now a powermad despot. But happily we're not there, so I'm actually rather pleasant. Really.
