Every Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie Ranked Worst To Best
5. Total Recall
Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger were a match made in heaven. The former's maximalist, satirical tendencies aligned perfectly with the larger-than-life aura of the latter, with their coming together resulting in one of the all-time great science-fiction action films: 1990's Total Recall.
Based on the story We Can Remember it For You Wholesale by Phillip K. Dick, Verhoeven's film is a vibrant, humorous and spirited offering that, while not quite on the same level as his masterpiece RoboCop, nevertheless displayed the same qualities that made his prior effort a resounding success, satirising the banality of capitalism and the futility of escape.
Total Recall also provided Schwarzenegger with ample room to stretch his acting chops, taking on the dual roles of Doug Quaid and Carl Hauser, a man either reliving a memory-wiped past life and reclaiming his destiny, or one who is just fulfilling the transactional escape he had always been hoping for.
Whichever way you slice Total Recall's ending, it remains a high point for both Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger, the latter re-entering a similar satirical slice of sci-fi that he excelled in with The Running Man. Total Recall is less rough around the edges than that effort, however, bolstered by formidable actors like Michael Ironside and Sharon Stone, as well as Verhoeven's exacting and cutting sense of humour.