Awe inspiring action!

Rating: Null/10 (3 February 2000)

Paul Verhoeven delivers another ulra-violent sci-fi action movie, and it is perhaps his best. Arnie plays Douglas Quaid, a construction worker in the year 2084. Tired by life on Earth he buys an artificial memory of a trip to Mars (now populated). Unfortunately, this unlocks memories of a past life, when he was a secret agent tying to stop the tyrannical Vilas Cohaagen from crushing the Martian rebels. As Cohaagen's goons give chase, Quaid desperately tries to find out who he is, why he's on Earth, and how he can put an end to Cohaagen's dictatorship forever. This movie never has a dull moment. Apart from the last seconds of dialogue it's perfect, and it's definitely not lacking in the action department as each punch and gunshot wound looks and sounds horrific. The martian landscapes are awe inspiring (despite looking like scale miniatures) and the plot twists leave you wondering if Quaid is inside the memory he paid for, or is really "--an invincible secret agent from Mars, victim to an interplanetary conspiracy to make him think he's a lowly construction worker." All these points and more make Total Recall worth adding to your collection.