"If I am not me, then who the hell am I?"

Rating: 7/10 (28 February 2011)

In a time when interplanetary travel is common, one man yearns for better things. Douglas Quaid (Arnold Scwarzenneger), discontent with his life, dreams of vacationing to Mars. When an opportunity for a virtual vacation presents itself, Quaid visits Rekall Inc. for a memory implant. But during the procedure Quaid is plagued by memories of another life and heads to mars to try to unravel a forgotten past.
When David Cronenberg passed on the project, director Paul Verhoeven, of 'Robocop' fame came to the rescue. And although I will always wonder what the talented Mr. Cronenberg would have pieced together, I think Verhoeven deserves credit for taking on the challenge. The film's look is a trademark of Verhoevens and doesn't shy away from being loud in appearance.
The film was adapted from Philip K. Dick's 'We Can Remember It For You Wholesale' and poses a question to the audience about whether the events after the memory implant are real or not. Undertones of corruption pull the movie along, but Verhoeven's execution of these issues is done with little care.
Direction: 7/10 (Verhoeven's anti-subtle imagery and erotica influences drive this film) Cinematography: 8/10 (Jost Vocano's improves Verhoeven's excessive influences) Editing: 9/10 (Puente & Urioste make the right choices here, especially in the Johhny cab scenes) Acting: 6/10 (It's Arnie & Stone. What did you expect? Michael Ironside does most of the work here) Dialogue: 5/10 (Too many hands spoiled this broth. Not awful, just disappointing it didn't turn out) Sound: 10/10 (I was impressed for a film made in 1990. This almost makes up for the dialogue) Effects: 10/10 (It didn't get a 'Special Achievement Award' for nothing. An Oscar well deserved) Art Direction: 8/10 (Verhoeven favourite James E. Tocci is called again to help the director) Costumes: 7/10 (Erica Edell Phillips gives the characters another subtle dimension) Music and/or Score: 7/10 (The music department provided a tasteful Sci-Fi feel to the film)
Total Score: 77/100
For a film with plenty of action, explosive sounds and visual effects it still delivers an entertaining experience. But don't be fooled â€“ this film is not for anyone. Best suited for Sci-Fi aficionados and 80s action film buffs. Memorable moments included.