An Exciting film

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2006)

Total Recall was a fun film. It was loaded with action, typical of any Swarzenegger film. It was also pretty bloody, but compared to some films nowadays, the violence seems rather tame.
Douq Quaid (Arnold Swarzenegger) has a loving wife named Lori (Sharon Stone) and a good job as a construction worker on Earth. It would seem his life is good, but he is having strange vivid dreams about Mars and being part of the resistance group there that is battling the evil dictator Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox). You see, Cohaagen has control of the colony and all the air which allows the colonists to inhabit the planet. Also in these dreams, Quaid has a relationship with one of the resistance fighters named Melina (Rachel Ticotin), who is a brunette, unlike his wife.
Wanting to understand these dreams, Quaid goes to a memory implant service to get a trip to Mars. Afterward everything seems to spiral out of control as Doug finds that many people he knew before aren't the same, including himself. Once on Mars things get even crazier as he finds himself being chased by a guy named Ricter (Michael Ironside). He also discovers some startling truths, but he also discovers more lies as well.
Though not on the same par as the Terminator films, director Paul Verhoeven (who did Robocop and Starship Troopers) has given us an exciting film with some unusual and funny characters that pop up on the screen at different times. The special effects were good for their time, but now would seem a little dated. I liked it and would recommend it as an enjoyable pop-corn flick.