Awesome sci-fi treat

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2019)

Based on a short story by science fiction author Philip K Dick, this is, without a doubt, the funniest and more action packed film to come out of one of his story adaptations. And they got the right man for the job. Dutch director Paul Verhoeven, fresh off his success with Robocop, another Sci-fi great, we get one of the more rounded movies of the early 90s. Not only it proyected Schwarzenegger's already profitable career in the movie business to the stratosphere, it also helped to cement Verhoeven's place in the American industry. This film also marked a transition period between practical effects and the onset of the visual effects era. And for a movie its age, it looks nigh perfect. There was an artistry to special effects with the use of matte paintings, optical effects and with its make up effects, that you'd be hard pushed to find in today's sci-fi movies. Granted that it being, in many respects, a Schwarzenegger action vehicle, it found in Verhoeven the perfect director to transcend that barrier and make something else out of it. Ronny Cox and Michael Ironside play the perfect villains while Schwarzenegger does an interesting turn as both an intergalactic spy and apparently a wholesome factory worker. Or is it the other way round?. The thing is, that being the plot of the movie as twisting and turning as it is, we never know for sure if the main character is living these events or they are played out as part of a fantasy-implanted journey to Mars and all of it might just be a dream. That's what's great about this movie, the ending is open to interpretation and we are left to wonder. Solid script, great action set pieces, even greater special and makeup effects and a terrific cast to boot. Pure 90s deliciousness.