"See You At Da Pahty, Richtah!"

Rating: 10/10 (29 August 2012)

It may be hard to believe if you weren't alive at the time, but 22 years ago -- before soulless remakes were a dime a dozen and blatant CGI cheapened blockbuster flicks -- Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled the world. Produced at the cusp of his pinnacle, "Total Recall" teamed the future-Governator with "Robocop" director Paul Verhoeven, proving to be a match made in heaven as the two forged absolute cinematic gold. Boasting a witty script based on a Philip K. Dick short, mind-boggling special effects and a relentless stream of humor and ultraviolence, "Total Recall" still makes for a fun ride after all of these years.
Set in the year 2084, our story revolves around a simple blue-collar worker, Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger), who can't help but dream of the amber landscape of Mars. Even as his beautiful wife (a pre-"Basic Instinct" Sharon Stone) lies next to him at night, he's off in outerspace fantasizing about a life in another world with another woman (Rachel Ticotin). Against advice from his friends, he embarks on a fantasy vacation to Mars that promises an implanted memory of interplanetary espionage and extramarital lust without all the fuss of space travel and infidelity. As you can imagine, he gets more than he bargained for when something goes horribly wrong in the process and he actually finds himself on Mars, being hunted down whilst trying to, in his words, "give da people da air!"
"Total Recall" is nothing if not entertainment taken to the extreme. Without all of the social commentary baggage of "Robocop," Verhoeven is free to let his love for over-the-top action and jarring violence spill all over the place. From the opening scene to the opening credits, the film is a relentless roller-coaster ride. At the helm, of course, is Arnold Schwarzenegger who runs amuck through the scenery, spouting off just as many one-liners as he does bullets. Though perfectly able actors such as Richard Dreyfuss and Jeff Bridges were originally in the running for the role, it's hard to imagine the film with anyone but Arnold as Quaid. A good 50% of the film's charm is thanks in part to his performance.
Of course, one would be remiss if they didn't mention the absolutely stunning visual effects on hand. Thanks to legendary (but sadly MIA as of this writing) special effects guru Rob Bottin, there are sights in the film you aren't soon to forget, such as Arnold yanking a golf-ball sized tracking unit out of his nose and a female Martian who is, shall we say, well-equipped. Truly a time capsule of a bygone era, "Total Recall" pre-dates the CGI revolution brought on in later years by the likes of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "Jurassic Park" and yet looks every bit as stunning today as it did when it was first released. The phrase "they don't make 'em like they used to" definitely applies here.
To put it simply, "Total Recall" is the last of its kind. It's hardly dated (aside from some bad fashion choices here and there) and its entertainment value has not waned one bit over the years. In this film, you have a truly iconic action star in his prime with a director at the top of his game, making for a true, blue action classic. Sure, it doesn't probe the depths of the psyche as much as it could, but there's so much going for it, it's easy to forgive the film its few shortcomings. Put simply, "Total Recall" is a film you'll likely recall for years to come.