Blu-ray Review: Total Recall (Ultimate Rekall Edition)

Blu-ray Reviews, Reviews, Top Story

There’s no denying that Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the biggest action stars of all time, and that amongst a hefty amount of really cheesy, yet incredibly fun movies filled with one-liners he’s made throughout his career, he’s also made some real gems that have stood the test of time (for the most part). One of these gems also happens to be one of his best and most successful films, Total Recall, which has just been given a second release on Blu-ray, this time with all the bells and whistles added.

Of course, hearing this may frustrate those who purchased the previous Blu-ray release of the film; however, that release was six years ago and under $10, so odds are fans won’t hold that much of a grudge. But even if they do, chances are they’ll still pick up this Ultimate Rekall Edition (or Mind-Bending Edition, depending on which country you buy it), as this is the hi-definition transfer fans have been waiting for. The earlier Blu-ray release of Total Recall was trashed for its grainy and downright ugly video transfer, but this time around things are looking crisp and sharp in beautiful 1080p.

The story gets fairly complex, with many twists and turns along the way, so for those who haven’t seen it I’ll just touch on what the film is about without delving into any of the spoilers that help make this story as intriguing as it is. Schwarzenegger stars as Douglas Quaid, an ordinary guy (with the physique of a bodybuilder) that constantly has nightmares about being on Mars. This may sound like a rather odd place to be dreaming about; however, the film takes place in 2084, and at this point in time there are settlers and miners living on Mars, so it works well. Quaid tries to talk his wife Lori (played by Sharon Stone) into moving to Mars, but she won’t have any of it.

This leaves Quaid to take matters into his own hands – or mind, rather – as he decides to go to a place called Rekall and take a virtual trip to Mars. Rekall does this by using a technology that allows the user to enter the memories of someone else who has actually experienced the trip, all while the user remains safe and sound at the Rekall building. Quaid decides to add on a secret agent package to his trip, in which he plays the part of a secret agent who “saves the day and gets the girl” according to the sales rep; however, things get out of hand when Quaid is being prepped for his “dream” vacation, and he wakes up only to realize that he’s always been a secret agent, or has he?

Total Recall is based off the short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale,” by Philip K. Dick, who has had many of his short stories made into successful motion pictures, such as Minority Report and Blade Runner. With that basis to work off of, screenwriters Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, Jon Povill, and Gary Goldman (not Oldman) crafted quite a solid script that weaves together some great sci-fi action with an intriguing mystery for audiences to try and work out as the film moves along.

Director Paul Verhoeven (fresh off of making Robocop when the script for Total Recall landed on his lap) does a great job of bringing this complex story together in a clear and coherent manner that helps keep the audience guessing from start to finish.

The special effects for the film are still quite amazing, as the best of the best were hired to work on the special effects for this film. There’s no real CGI, as most things are done with rubbers and miniatures; however, there’s one scene where Schwarzenegger walks through a security checkpoint that actually x-rays people in order to check for weapons that was actually one of the first fully CGI scenes ever made. While some may find certain effects laughable compared to what’s available today, it really is quite remarkable to see what they did with what they had over 20 years ago, and how well most of it still holds up today.

On the acting front, Schwarzenegger does a good job of carrying what is easily his most complex film as far as story goes. Stone is fantastic as his wife, and actually steals the spotlight from Arnold in many of the scenes the two share together. The supporting cast also has great chemistry, with Rachel Ticotin, Ronny Cox and Michael Ironside being some of the people who enter Quaid’s life after he visits Rekall.

Total Recall isn’t without flaws, however, they’re easy enough to look past due to the intriguing story, superb filmmaking and great special effects that make the movie as enjoyable as it is. Fans of Schwarzenegger and science fiction in general should definitely pick up this Blu-ray release of the film, as it’s definitely the definitive copy of Total Recall to own.

When a special feature literally takes over five minutes to show you just how much of a difference their video transfer makes you can’t really argue against it being anything other than perfect. This is a great transfer for both video and audio, and definitely a version worth double dipping in for those who bought the 2006 Blu-ray.

The special features found on this release are pretty much everything that could be found on the 2001 Special Edition DVD release, except there’s an exclusive interview with Director Paul Verhoeven also found here.

Audio Commentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger & Director Paul Verhoeven – This is a classic commentary that has even had pieces of it featured on Youtube due to some of the hilarious comments Schwarzenegger makes throughout. There are some great tidbits on information found within this commentary; however, the real reason to listen to it is to hear as Schwarzenegger doesn’t give so much an informative commentary as much as he gives a play by play of exactly what’s happening on screen. Good times.

Making-of Featurette – This piece comes in at just over eight minutes in length and shows some behind the scenes clips of the film being made, with a few interviews scattered throughout.

Imagining Total Recall Documentary – This is a really great feature that’s just over 30 minutes in length and covers a great deal of information as far as the filmmaking of Total Recall is concerned. While the previous “Making-of” featurette is fun, this is the one you want to watch to get lots of information from the cast and crew.

“Models and Skeletons: The Special Effects of Total Recall – This feature runs at just over 23 minutes in length, and covers all the different aspects of the effects of the film. Seeing as they won an Academy Award, it’s no surprise that this is an interesting feature that’s worth checking out.

Restoration Comparison – This featurette runs at over five minutes in length and shows clips of the original film before the Blu-ray transfer took place. The difference is crazy to see, though after a minute or so there’s no real reason to watch more.

Interview with Director Paul Verhoeven – This is a fantastic interview with Verhoeven that runs at just under 35 minutes in length. He talks candidly about his work on the film, how it came to be and various problems he had with the final act of the script, and how he went about to fix it quite brilliantly.

Total Recall is definitely a film that stands the test of time, even though some may feel that things move a bit too slow at times. Still, this is one of Schwarzenegger’s best, and a great science fiction film all around, so fans of both should be sure to pick this Blu-ray up. Highly recommended.

An Alliance Films Release of Total Recall: Ultimate Rekall Edition. Directed by: Paul Verhoeven. Written by: Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, Gary Goldman. Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, Michael Ironside, Rachel Ticotin. Running time: 113 minutes. Rating: R. Released: July 31, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.

Brendan Campbell was here when Inside Pulse Movies began, and he’ll be here when it finishes - in 2012, when a cataclysmic event wipes out the servers, as well as everyone else on the planet other than John Cusack and those close to him. Brendan’s the #1 supporter of Keanu Reeves, a huge fan of popcorn flicks and a firm believer that sheer entertainment can take a film a long way. He currently resides in Canada, where, for reasons stated above, he’s attempting to get closer to John Cusack.