Total Recall (2012)

[GodzillaSpawn]

Yup, I love Chuck and Larry. Would have been nice to confirm she "still has it" lol but Kate was damn sexy!

 

[316what]

And remake it, scene by scene, line by line. They changed this, they changed that, ...

As usual, you make no sense and contradict yourself.

Which is it: a remake scene by scene and line by line or is it a remake where they changed this and changed that? The two are not synonymous.

 

[ashkanls]

I watched the original recently and it really doesn't hold up. Arnie just doesn't have the acting chops to portray someone that should be so conflicted. Farrell does have the skills, but the remake doesn't really allow him to get a breath. It's so non-stop action that there's really no time to get invested in the characters or story.

Actually the only one that really stands out is Kate B. - they gave her a lot more to do in this one than Sharon Stone had in the original and she's great in it.

I did enjoy the look of it - it's a visual marvel and I'm sure Sony execs are going to be crying about how much money they spent on the budget.

Kate's husband direct this movie..... that's why she was in it not to say she wasn't great in it.

 

[CelticPredator]

As usual, you make no sense and contradict yourself.

Which is it: a remake scene by scene and line by line or is it a remake where they changed this and changed that? The two are not synonymous.

Oh good. More fun for me here!

You didn't even quote the whole post.

This movie could've been amazing. It could have. But they decided to take the safe route. And remake it, scene by scene, line by line. They changed this, they changed that, but from i've heard, it's the same movie with better effects.

See. Now it makes sense. A good remake takes the basic concept, and does something new with it.

Sounds like they just changed a little bit here, a little bit there, but ultimately, it's the same movie.

And what's awesome is, the movie didn't even beat the original's opening.

And this one cost more, and ticket prices are higher. So....good. Glad this thing failed. If you were going to remake Total Recall, you should've done it right. By not having anything to do with the movie.

 

[Alex Logan]

It was the same story at it's core, but it had a different feel, and a vastly different ending. And while I wish they didn't keep as much as they did, the film was different enough that I didn't see everything coming.

This movie could've been amazing. It could have. But they decided to take the safe route. And remake it, scene by scene, line by line. They changed this, they changed that, but from i've heard, it's the same movie with better effects.

Except it was done better, without the cheese. Your statement does contradict itself.

It doesn't matter if this film won every oscar, it's still a dull remake of a great movie. It looks like it lacks the fun, and camp. Which is why most films today have no personality. Cheese is great. Hamburgers taste horrible. I'll never eat a burger without cheese. And that's how a feel about a lot of movies today. Just hamburgers. Dry, boring, hamburgers.

You shouldn't even be eating hamburgers.

 

[xjamiex]

Bourne Legacy next week! Woot!

Can't wait! Jeremy Renner's performance will be incredible as always!

 

[CelticPredator]

You people act like cheese is a bad thing.

Thank god for The Expendables 2. That's going OOZE cheese.

 

[Alex Logan]

You people act like cheese is a bad thing.

Thank god for The Expendables 2. That's going OOZE cheese.

There's a time and I place for it. The cheese in Expendables 2 is totally different from what you're talking about. The first Total Recall is way over the top cheese and it's just that well made. It's a classic, but I wouldn't buy it.

 

[CelticPredator]

That's what makes the film charming to me. That's what makes Commando charming.

Imagine that film as a straight up gritty drama. Would you remember it? I wouldn't. I'd miss "Lay off some STEAM Bennett!" And "He's dead tired", also Arnie throwing that guy in the phone booth.

Films today need more of that. It's all so serious, and dour. It's why I love TDKR more then TDK. It's like "Let's have fun tonight!"

 

[krec9]

That's what makes the film charming to me. That's what makes Commando charming.

Imagine that film as a straight up gritty drama. Would you remember it? I wouldn't. I'd miss "Lay off some STEAM Bennett!" And "He's dead tired", also Arnie throwing that guy in the phone booth.

Films today need more of that. It's all so serious, and dour. It's why I love TDKR more then TDK. It's like "Let's have fun tonight!"

great post agree with every word movies today aren't simple... always need a twist or explaining need more fun and not talking about guy with a gun in slow mo talking out like 12 guys miss the good old days .

 

[GodzillaSpawn]

The bad thing about cheese is it's got an expiration date. Something might come out and be funny or appealing in a cheesy fashion but as the years go by those same scenes or lines that once caused a chuckle are later met with an eye-roll or a facepalm. Most Arnold dialogue has that ingredient. This film felt good without the cheese factor.

But what do I know about cheese and camp, I'm a Godzilla fan.

 

[plasmid303]

I didn't hate the film. I thought they were creative in their designs. The locations, the set designs, the tech, those aspects of the movie are all quite good. The action scenes were shot well and the cgi enhancements weren't offensive most of the time. I liked Kate Beckinsale in this, she's determined and vicious and also quite lovely.

That covers the positives I took away from my viewing today. The movie otherwise is a routine sci-fi action flick that takes the subtext from the original and puts it far into the background, where it's almost unnoticeable. Watching the movie you're never guessing whether it's real or all just a Rekall implant. It's too bad because that ambiguous subplot was part of what I really liked about the original.

Another plot thread that's worse off here is the struggle between the oppressed and the oppressors. You never get the feeling that things are really bad for those who live in the Colony until the final act when the much needed sense of urgency kicks in and the ____ must hit the fan in accordance to action-movie formula. In contrast to the original film, the inhabitants of Mars seemed like they were ____ed. People were turning into mutants because of poor protection from the environment and the fact that Cohaagen had easy access to air distribution.

In this regard the change in setting from Mars to different Earth regions hurts the film. As much as I like location designs, the Colony slums actually don't look that bad, as far as futuristic slums go. It's a mix between Blade Runner Deus Ex: HR, with some Asian influences from perhaps Ghost in the Shell and that one colony city from Serenity. The problem with the slums here is that it looks like a decent place to live. Quaid's apartment ain't bad. I wish I had a place with a sprawl like that. Same goes for his neighbors' homes. In one chase sequence, Quaid busts through his neighbor's house and it wasn't as as quaint as I expected it to be. The No-go zones by comparison were the real wastelands. More of the movie should have been set there and the Resistance should have been given more screen time. Also, the central conceit of the film, The Fall, is preposterously stupid and spits in the face of science and physics. And the final battle that takes place in this location is about as creatively bankrupt as you can get. It makes the showdown between Quaid and Cohaagen from the original look brilliant by comparison. Speaking of the characters...

They are boring and poorly developed, which is especially frustrating when it comes to Cohaagen and Mathias (this film's Kuato). These characters are shadows of their original selves. It's a crime how little Bryan Cranston and Bill Nighy are given to work with. Cohaagen in the remake is not much of a threat even though he participates more in the capturing of Quiad and the stupid conquest of the oppressed colony inhabitants. Colin Farell is a much better actor than Arnie ever was, but his Quaid is less interesting due to how the new film handles his development. None of the other characters outside of Beckinsale's are given much to do.

Enjoy the first act because that's the film is at its most creative and interesting. The movie is really just one chase scene to another after the first 30 minutes. From that point on, it's just rather dull.

 

[Alex Logan]

I didn't hate the film. I thought they were creative in their designs. The locations, the set designs, the tech, those aspects of the movie are all quite good. The action scenes were shot well and the cgi enhancements weren't offensive most of the time. I liked Kate Beckinsale in this, she's determined and vicious and also quite lovely.

That covers the positives I took away from my viewing today. The movie otherwise is a routine sci-fi action flick that takes the subtext from the original and puts it far into the background, where it's almost unnoticeable. Watching the movie you're never guessing whether it's real or all just a Rekall implant. It's too bad because that ambiguous subplot was part of what I really liked about the original.

Another plot thread that's worse off here is the struggle between the oppressed and the oppressors. You never get the feeling that things are really bad for those who live in the Colony until the final act when the much needed sense of urgency kicks in and the ____ must hit the fan in accordance to action-movie formula. In contrast to the original film, the inhabitants of Mars seemed like they were ____ed. People were turning into mutants because of poor protection from the environment and the fact that Cohaagen had easy access to air distribution.

In this regard the change in setting from Mars to different Earth regions hurts the film. As much as I like location designs, the Colony slums actually don't look that bad, as far as futuristic slums go. It's a mix between Blade Runner Deus Ex: HR, with some Asian influences from perhaps Ghost in the Shell and that one colony city from Serenity. The problem with the slums here is that it looks like a decent place to live. Quaid's apartment ain't bad. I wish I had a place with a sprawl like that. Same goes for his neighbors' homes. In one chase sequence, Quaid busts through his neighbor's house and it wasn't as as quaint as I expected it to be. The No-go zones by comparison were the real wastelands. More of the movie should have been set there and the Resistance should have been given more screen time. Also, the central conceit of the film, The Fall, is preposterously stupid and spits in the face of science and physics. And the final battle that takes place in this location is about as creatively bankrupt as you can get. It makes the showdown between Quaid and Cohaagen from the original look brilliant by comparison. Speaking of the characters...

They are boring and poorly developed, which is especially frustrating when it comes to Cohaagen and Mathias (this film's Kuato). These characters are shadows of their original selves. It's a crime how little Bryan Cranston and Bill Nighy are given to work with. Cohaagen in the remake is not much of a threat even though he participates more in the capturing of Quiad and the stupid conquest of the oppressed colony inhabitants. Colin Farell is a much better actor than Arnie ever was, but his Quaid is less interesting due to how the new film handles his development. None of the other characters outside of Beckinsale's are given much to do.

Enjoy the first act because that's the film is at its most creative and interesting. The movie is really just one chase scene to another after the first 30 minutes. From that point on, it's just rather dull.

I do agree with most everything you've said here, but the only problem is that you just can't compare this new film to the original.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

Another plot thread that's worse off here is the struggle between the oppressed and the oppressors. You never get the feeling that things are really bad for those who live in the Colony until the final act when the much needed sense of urgency kicks in and the ____ must hit the fan in accordance to action-movie formula. In contrast to the original film, the inhabitants of Mars seemed like they were ____ed. People were turning into mutants because of poor protection from the environment and the fact that Cohaagen had easy access to air distribution.

Yes this was my biggest complaint with the movie. The Colony didn't seem that bad IMO. Very Blade Runner-ish landscaping, and the people didn't seem that "oppressed" to me. Now if they showed more of the Colony being like the Wasteland or something like that, then I'd see what the big deal is.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

C'mon people...anything CelticPredator says is suspect. He's in love with Michael Bay for cripes sake.

 

[crows]

C'mon people...anything CelticPredator says is suspect. He's in love with Michael Bay for cripes sake.

this guy knows what he's talking about
I would listen

(plus he hated the new spiderman)

 

[Gates70]

Watched both movies back-to-back (original and 2012). The original wasn't as good as I remembered while the new one came off as lame compared to the first one IMO. Wasn't that enjoyable of a film. My on-screen girlfriend Kate reminded me of the TX Terminator, always getting a beating and getting back up. Was a bit much.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

C'mon people...anything CelticPredator says is suspect. He's in love with Michael Bay for cripes sake.

Yes. Especially when they're reminiscing about an 80s movie like it was this amazing movie.

(plus he hated the new spiderman)

I didn't really care for it either. I just hope the sequel is 100x better.

 

[CelticPredator]

Hey, you can say whatever you'd like to about me, but I know for a fact, anyone who hates the 90'S (not 80's...) ORIGINAL CLASSIC can go suck it hard, and has no credibility as a human being, and should be exiled from this planet.

Fact. End of story. .

 

[CelticPredator]

Also, Amazing Spider-Man blows.