Director: Paul Verhoeven
Writers: Philip K. Dick, Ronald Shusett (screen story)
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox, Rachel Ticotin

Paul Verhoeven strikes gold once again! After the massive success of “Robocop” in 1987, the Dutch director set his sights on Philip K. Dick’s short story, “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale,” and voilà, we got the 1990 classic, “Total Recall,” starring none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. This film marks part of Arnie’s golden era, which was arguably his peak, with “Terminator 2” following hot on its heels a year later.

Verhoeven, the master world builder, invites us to explore a used future, much like the gritty landscape he crafted in “Robocop.” This time, it’s a seedy, tech-reliant world with gems like Hologram Tennis and Johnny Cabs. People daydream about living on Mars and can even visit a memory implant service called “Recall” to have delightful memories stitched into their brains. Verhoeven once again creates a vivid, believable, and downright bleak vision of the future, offering the human race something to look forward to, albeit a bit dystopian.

Schwarzenegger plays Douglas Quaid, a construction worker yearning for a brighter future with his wife Lori (Sharon Stone). Quaid’s dream is to set foot on Mars and fulfill his destiny, but Lori seems content with life’s simpler pleasures and has no grand ambitions. Ignoring Lori’s advice, as well as a warning from his buddy Harry, Quaid decides to get a memory implant to live out his secret-agent-on-Mars fantasy. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, things take a sharp turn when Quaid’s brain goes into a full-blown meltdown. He starts raving about double-crosses, even though the implant hasn’t been installed yet. Panicked, the Recall team knocks him out and shoves him into a cab. Let’s just say that Quaid’s day isn’t going as planned. As the story unfolds, he discovers that his friends aren’t his friends, his wife isn’t really his wife, and his life as Douglas Quaid is nothing but a memory implant designed to conceal Mars’s secrets and its hazardous atmosphere. The puppet master behind it all is Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox), who rules Mars with an iron fist, selling precious oxygen to the colonies on the red planet.

I caught this movie about a year after its release since I was just a bit too young to see it in theaters—the BBFC slapped it with a 15 certificate. No worries, though, because when I finally watched it, I was hooked from the get-go. The characters are larger than life, almost comic book-like. The sets, predominantly indoors, still impress for their time, offering a great peek into the imaginative worlds Verhoeven created. The storyline is well thought out and weaves its way through with surprises that keep you engaged. Plus, the humor is right in line with that irreverent Verhoeven style, as seen in “Robocop.”

I’m deliberately avoiding any discussion of the more recent remake with Colin Farrell, as we’ll save that for another day. Schwarzenegger and Stone make a fantastic pair right from the start. You’ll initially believe in their marital bliss, but within an hour, you’ll be convinced of their bitter rivalry, thanks to the incredible acting chemistry between these two talents. Michael Ironside as Richter is the villain Cohaagen sends after Quaid to erase his memory. Ironside nails it as the dastardly, humor-infused bad guy, meeting a rather grisly end with his parting line, “See you at the party, Richter.”

In the grand scheme of things, “Total Recall” is a multi-layered film that you can enjoy time and time again. It’s unclear how much of Philip K. Dick’s short story was used, but he certainly deserves credit for the existence of “Total Recall.” Paul Verhoeven brings the story to life with expert pacing, excellent set design, character development throughout the cast, and a plot that keeps you entranced. This film stands as one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best works of the time, sandwiched between “Twins,” “Kindergarten Cop,” and, as I mentioned earlier, “Terminator 2.” He was undoubtedly on fire at the time. Interestingly, Verhoeven initially wanted Schwarzenegger for the role of Robocop, but given Arnie’s colossal frame, that suit was a no-go, and the role went to the leaner Peter Weller. However, Verhoeven’s love for Arnold must have been strong since he had him in mind early on for the role of Quaid. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I urge you to give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised by how well it holds up to today’s standards. Highly recommended!

Follow @StephenJohn76