Should I Check This Out - Total Recall

"If I'm not me, who the hell am I?" A line first used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original 1990 film of the same name, now said by a less macho Colin Farrell in a remake trying to distance itself from the cheesy one-liners of Arnie. With Underworld and Die Hard 4 director Len Wiseman at the helm, things weren't looking great - even though I enjoyed both - but having noticed that my 'Should I Check This Out' section was becoming filled with films that I expected great things from, Total Recall seemed like a chance to try something different and move into critically mixed waters.

Now while no one was expecting this to be the next Bladerunner, or for Farrell's performance to match Arnie's, Total Recall was actually quite fun. Granted it was far from perfect, Wiseman successfully takes the everyman role framed for something he knows nothing about by an evil corporation and manages to keep the pace simple and entertaining.

Released in 2012, the film was met with average to negative reviews, with many critics comparing it to the original. But having only ever caught parts of the original here and there on TV, I went into this not knowing what to expect from the story, even though there isn't a great deal to it, which is the film's main problem. Unlike other sci-fi films that stick in the memory of viewers and fans of the genre, Total Recall lacks that distinctive edge to give it the advantage. But as a simple studio sci-fi action film, it is serviceable and is never outright terrible.

Working around a disappointingly humourless script, Farrell does a good job as the average man trapped in a dull job while married to Kate Beckinsale. Poor guy. In an effort to escape, he visits a place called Recall where he can simulate fantasies in his mind, but something goes wrong as the operation starts and soon Bryan Cranston is after him with his soldiers, and a relentless Beckinsale. Is it all real, or is he still in Recall? While the dilemma is put to the back for the most-part, the action takes centre stage, and while the chase is on, Total Recall is at its strongest.

From rooftop chases, to shootouts and to hover car chases, things are fairly fast moving, but when it chooses to ease a little, flaws start to appear. Particularly whenever it chooses to deliver endless plot exposition that turns the film into a drag. Even when it's moving though, the action feels vanilla, lacking that 'oomph' to make an impact and is interchangeable with any other action film. That said, almost until the final confrontation, it's still fun to watch as Beckinsale ruthlessly pursues Farrell and Jessica Biel through futuristic London.

Overall, Total Recall is a good looking film that shows off its $125 million budget, but despite a decent turn from Farrell and some nice visuals, it falls short due to a dry script. And while I can't give it my full recommendation, if you do catch it on TV and haven't seen the original, you could certainly do a lot worse as there is still plenty of entertainment to be found here.