Movie Review – Total Recall (1990)
What did you do yesterday?
How about last week? Do you remember of the details and feelings last time you went on vacation?
Now what if you were told that those memories are just a lie? You really didn’t live those events. Those “memories” were physically implanted into your brain to cover your true identity. Just how well do you think you know yourself?
That’s the basic premise for 1990′s science-fiction thriller, Total Recall.
Total Recall stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid, a construction worker in the year 2084. Quaid lives an ordinary life with a beautiful wife, Lori (played Sharon Stone). Although he accepts this lifestyle, it’s clear to see that he’s desperate for something else. Something bigger. Many nights he dreams of exploring Mars with a mysterious woman.
One morning, after waking from another nightmare about Mars, Quaid expresses his interest to Lori about going to Mars. She disagrees, reminding him how bad things are on the Red Planet with the current war between rebels and the Martian government, run by governor Vilos Cohaagen (played by Ronny Cox – RoboCop, Beverly Hills Cop, etc.). Lori suggests taking a space cruise to Saturn, but Quaid rejects her offer.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
While travelling to work at a construction site, Quaid sees a TV commercial for a company called Rekall. According to the marketers at Rekall, why go on a vacation to deal with lousy weather, bad service, and lost luggage when you can just implant the memory of a “perfect” vacation instead, remembering it like you just came back yesterday? “For the memory of a lifetime, Rekall, Rekall, Rekall.” Douglas Quaid mentions Rekall to one of his co-workers, Harry, but his friend suggests he stay away from that company. Apparently a friend had a “special offer” from Rekall and nearly had to be lobotomized.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Douglas Quaid ignores Harry’s advice and visits Rekall. The company’s manager, Bob McClane, sells Quaid a special package called the “Ego Trip.” This advanced version of the memory implant not only has Quaid remember a recent trip to Mars, but his identity is altered to that of a secret agent. McClane promises Quaid a huge adventure battling bad guys, rescuing the girl, and saving the entire planet. Quaid agrees to the “Ego Trip,” but things quickly get out of hand. The workers have to subdue him and then tell McClane that they accidentally found that he had a “memory cap.” In other words, somebody had tried to erase Quaid’s brain, and his life as construction worker “Douglas Quaid” is phony.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Douglas Quaid wakes inside of an automated taxi known as a Johnnycab. He doesn’t know how he got there, but the cab drops him off at his apartment building. Harry sees Quaid and asks him about his “trip to Mars” from Rekall. Quaid doesn’t remember anything, but when he tries to leave, more of Harry’s friends grab Quaid and take him to a secluded part of the building. They try to kill him, but Quaid fights back and kills the gang of men, somewhat surprised at his own abilities to fight so well.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Douglas Quaid returns to his apartment and tells Lori what happened. She doesn’t believe him until he shows her his bloody hands. Lori makes a phone call to Richter (played by Michael Ironside), and then she tries to kill Quaid. Quaid ultimately knocks Lori unconscious and then runs from Richter and his men. There’s a bloody shootout on the building’s escalator as Quaid battles Richter’s men. Douglas Quaid eventually hops about a subway train and escapes from Richter.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Quaid makes his way to a hotel room where he receives a phone call from one of his friends in “the agency.” Quaid has no idea who the man is, but he follows his instructions, wrapping a wet towel around his head (it screws up the tracking bug in his skull) and grabbing the special briefcase. Quaid runs into Richter again, and the two of them have a car chase through the city. Quaid escapes and finds his way to an abandoned warehouse. There he goes through the briefcase and realizes his alternate identity, a person named “Hauser.” Hauser talks to Quaid in a video message, telling him how to get rid of the bug in his head (painfully pulling it out of his nose), and to “get your ass to Mars.” Richter and his men use the tracking bug’s signal to find Quaid’s location in the warehouse, but he’s long gone.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
The movie transitions from Earth to Mars. A large woman at the Martian customs desk looks innocent, but things take a turn when Richter arrives in the building. The woman makes a scene and we see a cool effect where her “head” splits open to reveal Quaid disguised in women’s clothing. He tosses the head to security guards where it explodes and he makes his getaway. Once again Richter is furious as Quaid slips through his fingers.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
After checking into the Martian Hilton under an assumed name, Quaid follows “Hauser’s” instructions and goes to a seedy bar called The Last Resort in a red light district. The district is populated by mutants, descendants of the original settlers who suffered from the effects of poor radiation shielding. At the bar he meets Melina (played by Rachel Ticotin – Con Air, etc.), the mysterious woman of his dreams. Unknown to Quaid, apparently she was Hauser’s girlfriend. When Quaid explains that he doesn’t remember her, telling her his new name and the fact that he’s married, Melina throws him out of the bar.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Back at his hotel room, Quaid has an unexpected visit from Rekall’s President, Dr. Edgemar. Dr. Edgemar insists that Quaid is living out his memories of the “Ego Trip,” and, in fact, he’s still strapped to the chair back at Rekall. As further proof, in steps Lori to help convince Quaid that this is all part of a fantasy. Dr. Edgemar tells Quaid that he’s so deep in his “dream” that he was programmed to enter his fantasy to bring him out of it. He instructs Quaid to swallow a pill that will help bring him out of his dream. Quaid appears to do so until he spies a bead of sweat running down Dr. Edgemar’s forehead. He shoots the man and spits out the pill.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Armed men rush into the room and capture Quaid. Lori punches and kicks her “husband,” furious that because of him she had to come to Mars. While transporting Quaid to a Richter, elevator doors open and out pops Melina armed with a machine gun. She shoots all but Lori, who kicks the gun out of her hand. The two women fight until Quaid regains consciousness and shoots Lori in the forehead. “Consider that a divorce!” Melina and Quaid make their way to the taxis, all while being chased by Richter. They make it to The Last Resort, and with the help of the mutants, they escape through a secret passageway. Richter and his men shoot the mutants in the bar. Cohaagen calls and orders Richter and his men out of the area. Large doors seal off the red light district, trapping the mutants. We see the large fans slowly stop spinning. Cohaagen had ordered the air supply cut off to that area.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Quaid and Melina make their way to the rebels’ headquarters, and there Quaid meets with Kuato, the leader of the mutants. Kuato uses a mental power that allows Quaid to see what was trapped in his mind. He “sees” that Cohaagen has been keeping secret a massive machine built by aliens thousands of years ago. It’s believed that the machine will melt the icy glaciers buried underground and convert the frozen water to oxygen, producing enough to change the Martian atmosphere. Cohaagen knows that he’ll lose his power and control if the machine was ever activated. Richter’s men suddenly arrive, and many of the rebels, including Kuato (“Quaid . . . start the reactor.”), are killed. Quaid and Melina are captured and taken to Cohaagen.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Cohaagen tries to erase Quaid’s and Melina’s memory, but Quaid is able to escape. The two of them kill the technicians and make their way to the reactor. Richter and his armed men are ready, but Quaid and Melina battle their way through the defense, thanks partially to Quaid’s handy holographic device. On an elevator, Quaid and Richter fight. Richter ultimately loses and has his arms chopped off before he falls to his death.
Total Recall (1990) – (c) TriStar Pictures
Cohaagen is waiting for them at the controls for the reactor. He’s planted a bomb and wants to destroy the machine once and for all. Quaid stops him, getting shot in the process and tossing the bomb to a wall. The bomb explodes and creates a hole, exposing everybody to the vacuum of the thin Martian atmosphere. Cohaagen is sucked outside while Quaid reaches and activates the reactor. He and Melina are then sucked outside while the reactor begins melting the massive glacier. The atmosphere is changed in a matter of minutes while Cohaagen, Quaid and Melina all struggle for air. Cohaagen dies in a painful manner, but oxygen reaches the surface and Quaid and Melina survive. The blast of air knocks out the windows of the red light district, bringing much needed oxygen to the mutants.
The end of Total Recall has Quaid and Melina, along with the mutants and other residents, admiring the changed Martian landscape. Quaid and Melina wonder for a moment if Quaid is still living the memory supposedly implanted by Rekall.
As a whole, Total Recall is a fantastic science-fiction movie that not only delivers plenty of action and suspense, but it also takes a moment to mess with your mind.
The big question at the end is, did Douglas Quaid really go to Mars and save the planet?
We know that Bob McClane basically sold that same exact adventure to Douglas Quaid as part of the “Ego Trip” back at Rekall. He claimed that it’s full of surprises, but he didn’t want to give away the secrets of the adventure. It’s possible that all of the movie from that point is Quaid remembering the “Ego Trip,” from the alleged “memory cap” discovered by Rekall’s technicians to the events on Mars. It could all be part of the adventure package sold by Rekall.
Whether or not Quaid was really imagining the events, or if he really was a secret agent, Total Recall is still a great movie. The story is outstanding, the action scenes are great, the shootouts are quite bloody and graphic (just like RoboCop and Starship Troopers, more of Paul Verhoeven’s action films), and the sci-fi parts are just plain cool.
The only problem is that when watching Total Recall today, it’s obvious that the film is dated with its special effects. The use of miniature heads is kinda obvious for two scenes, and the future version of Earth is fairly bland. We have to remember that Total Recall is over twenty years old. Considering the significant advancements we’ve seen in computer technology and special effects, most movies more than just a couple of years old will look at least somewhat dated.
Total Recall is partially a cult-classic. From the classic mutant hooker with three breasts to Kuato’s whole “start the reactor,” parts of this version of Total Recall will continue to remain forever in the hearts and minds of movie lovers. I speak “this version” because the 2012 version of Total Recall (starring Colin Farrell as Doug Quaid) is scheduled to be released this Friday, August 3, 2012.
Total Recall (1990) – movie trailer
If you love science fiction movies, or Jason Bourne-style secret agent films, then 1990′s thriller Total Recall is a must-see. It’s a rock-solid movie!
Douglas Quaid – “If I am not me, then who the hell am I?”