Total Recall

Total Recall (1990) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, Michael Ironside. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Sci-fi film set in the distant future has Schwarzenegger playing Douglas Quaid, a construction worker who feels he is meant for bigger things. When he goes to Rekall, a company that specializes in memory implants, he discovers that his memory has already been tampered with and sets out to find out why. The search for his past ends with him journeying to Mars, where he encounters strange happenings. My main impressions of this film are that the sets looked flimsy, the special effects look cheesy, and that Schwarzenegger can't act. Also, this is an ultraviolent movie, with constant hand-to-hand combat and shootouts, accompanied by lots of blood. Did I enjoy it? Yes, but I'm a sci-fi nut and an irrational fan of Ahnuld. I saw the film back in 1990, when it came out, and I had the same objections then as I have now. (English subtitles are available, as are closed captions.) Grade: B-