Totally Rewarding

Rating: 9/10 (26 June 2013)

Total recall came out in 1990 and was another hit for it's leading man Arnold Schwarzenegger. Again Schwarzenegger choose to enter the world of science fiction coupled with action as he had previous success with The Terminator, The Running Man, and Predator. Arnold sort out the services of the impressive Dutch Director Paul Verhoeven whom had success with 1987's Robocop. Verhoeven was not a science fiction director, however his greatest films have all been set in the science fiction genre.The great thing about Verhoeven as a director is he always asks questions of his audience, and makes them think about the message he is putting across in all his films. His films do use excessive graphic content and nudity, so he is not for everyone. It is almost like comic book violence at times. The 80s action films audience expected graphic violence, as we entered the 90s action films would steadily use less graphic violence Total Recall is set in the future and is about the character Douglas Quiad (Schwarzenegger) or is it? Quaid is a construction worker who keeps dreaming of mars. He can not convince his wife, played by the very sexy Sharon Stone to go on holiday to mars. So Quiad takes matters into his own hands and goes for a implanted memory of a holiday to mars. As Quiad awakes he thinks that people are coming to kill him, but is he just living his implanted memory or not? Does he really have a previous life and his identity as Douglas Quaid is just a set up. As like most of the science fiction films around at this time for example Terminator 2, it is filled with original ideas and makes it a intelligent plot line and can be thought of as deeply as the viewer feels necessary or just enjoyed as a action film. Action films these days seem to have lost the plot when it comes to over use of cgi at the expense of a good story. Total Recall is good thinking man's science fiction film and is highly recommended, kudos to the film makers and Arnold Schwarzenegger for making this film possible as a large budgeted film with star backing.