I Understand the Praise but the Film Just Doesn't Work for Me

Rating: Null/10 (30 July 2012)

Total Recall (1990)
** (out of 4)
Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi/action picture has Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Douglas Quaid, an average man who is growing tired of his world so he goes to the company Total Recall so that he can experience life as a Secret Agent. He wakes up and sure enough people are coming after him but is it just the fake dream or reality? Every single film buff will have "classic" movies that they simply don't get and TOTAL RECALL must be one of them for me. I'm really not sure what it is but I really didn't like this movie when I first watched it around the age of ten so I decided to give it another shot all these years later but the result was pretty much the same. While watching the movie I can honestly see why so many people love it but it seems the reason they love it are the reasons it didn't work for me. One problem I had with the film was the actual story. I'm not sure what so many people see in it but for me I thought it was rather boring and not once did it ever grab me and bring me into its action. Another problem I had with the film was the casting of Schwarzenegger. I think this is the only time I've said this but I really didn't like him in the movie. Rachel Ticotin was the best thing about the picture but she doesn't enter until towards the end but Michael Ironside was another plus. We've also got Sharon Stone looking extremely sexy but her performance isn't so hot. The early scenes of Arnold and Stone playing husband and wife featured some of the most laughable acting in any action picture. The special effects are extremely good and they hold up well after all these years but these aren't enough to keep me entertained. Yes, TOTAL RECALL is a classic to many but it's one classic that simply slips past my understanding.