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Movies / On DVD / Total Recall
Total Recall

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Total Recall (1990)

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Reviews Counted:39

Fresh:31

Rotten:8

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Under Paul Verhoeven's frenetic direction, Total Recall is a fast-paced rush of violence, gore, and humor that never slacks.

Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as Quaid, a 2084 construction worker haunted by dreams of Mars in this crowd-pleasing science fiction spectacle. Against the wishes of his sexy blonde wife... Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as Quaid, a 2084 construction worker haunted by dreams of Mars in this crowd-pleasing science fiction spectacle. Against the wishes of his sexy blonde wife (Sharon Stone), Quaid goes to Rekall, a company that implants artificial memories, so he can "remember" visiting the red planet that is now being settled by human inhabitants. However, Quaid is actually an amnesiac secret agent from Mars--or is he? Enemy agents led by a thug named Richter (Michael Ironside) start trying to kill him before Quaid remembers anything more. Bullets and bone-crunching mayhem follow in large doses as Quaid heads to Mars to deal with mutants, ancient alien races, and Cohagen (Ronny Cox), a greedy capitalist controlling the colonists' air supply, in an effort to remember his real identity. TOTAL RECALL is based on the story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick and was a big box-office hit, helping to firmly establish director Paul Verhoeven as a specialist in darkly satiric, blood-drenched genre films. His next stop: BASIC INSTINCT, also with Stone. [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox, Marshall Bell, Mel Johnson, Michael Champion, Roy Brocksmith, Ray Baker, Rosemary Dunsmore, David Knell

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Director: Paul Verhoeven
Story: Philip K. Dick, Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, Jon Povill
Screenwriter: Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Gary Goldman
Producer: Buzz Feitshans, Ronald Shusett
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Total Recall

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato

Richard Luck

Total Recall is fine entertainment, complete with breathtaking action sequences and special effects that impress even in these computer-generated times.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 12 2008 03:01 PM

Channel 4 Film

tomato

Geoff Andrew

The future doesn't come any better.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:17 AM

Time Out

tomato
4/5

Kim Newman

Worryingly satisfying in a purely gruesome, beat-em-up kinda way.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 12 2001 11:33 PM

Empire Magazine

tomato

The fierce and unrelenting pace, accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek strain of humor in the roughhouse screenplay, keeps the film moving like a juggernaut.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 01 2007 10:12 PM

Variety

splat
2/4

Ugly, stupid, loud, offensive, and pointlessly violent.

Full Review Source: | comment 4 Comments | Mar., 01 2007 10:11 PM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

tomato

Jonathan Rosenbaum

A worthy entry in the dystopian cycle launched by Blade Runner, this seems less derivative than most of its predecessors yet equally accomplished in its straight-ahead storytelling, with plenty of provocative satiric undertones and scenic details.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 01 2007 10:09 PM

Chicago Reader

tomato
8/10

John J. Puccio

Say what you will about Verhoeven's penchant for extravagant theatrics, when he's not yanking the arms off people or putting bullets in their forehead, he tells a good story.

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Feb., 13 2007 11:54 AM

DVDTown.com

tomato
B

Philip Martin

...people are allowed to change their minds

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 10 2005 03:58 PM

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

tomato
4/5

Scott Weinberg

Thought-provoking, flashy, and FULL of action!

comment Comment | Apr., 17 2005 02:51 AM

eFilmCritic.com

tomato
5/5

Michael Dequina

No review available.

comment Comment | Jan., 07 2005 01:05 AM

TheMovieReport.com

tomato
3/5

Rebecca Murray

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 16 2004 10:44 PM

About.com

tomato
3/5

Spence D.

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 10 2004 02:56 PM

IGN Movies

splat
2/5

Greg Maki

No review available.

comment Comment | Jan., 08 2004 09:27 PM

Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

splat
2/5

Ken Hanke

Oh for the days when Verhoeven was still in Holland.

comment Comment | Nov., 24 2003 04:36 PM

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

tomato
4/4

David Nusair

...one of the best action flicks to emerge out of Hollywood in the '90s (or ever, really).

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 01 2003 08:13 AM

Reel Film Reviews

tomato
4/5

Josh Gilchrist

No review available.

comment Comment | Jul., 15 2003 08:51 PM

Billings Outpost (Montana)

splat
2/5

Alex Sandell

Mediocre sci-fi. Gained a cult following, for some unknown reason.

comment 1 Comment | May., 28 2003 07:16 AM

Juicy Cerebellum

tomato
3/5

Janet Maslin

Melding the ever-more-workable Schwarzenegger mystique with a better-than-average science-fiction premise, the director Paul Verhoeven has come up with a vigorous, superviolent interplanetary thriller that packs in wallops with metronomic regularity.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2003 05:16 PM

New York Times

tomato
5/5

Moira Sullivan

While it may seem dated today, the film showcases Sharon Stone, evil wife to Schwarzenegger. You may want to take notice of how precious air is after seeing it.

comment Comment | Apr., 23 2003 04:59 PM

FilmFestivals.com

tomato
3/4

Robert Roten

This is a very interesting film and is also successful as a headlong roller-coaster ride of a pure action film.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 27 2003 05:14 PM

Laramie Movie Scope

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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all

Latest News for Total Recall

July 08, 2009: Five Favourite Films with Jaime Winstone
If you flick through the celebrity pages of most British newspapers -- particularly the free sheets -- you'll likely recognise Jaime Winstone. As Ray Winstone's daughter she's... More...

June 03, 2009: Kurt Wimmer Has Total Recall Opens in new window
The "Total Recall" remake being produced by Neal H. Moritz has got itself a writer: "Law Abiding Citizen" scribe Kurt Wimmer. More...

February 26, 2009: Total Recall Remake in the Works Opens in new window
Hoping to use 21st century special effects to put a fresh spin on the story, Neal Moritz is in negotiations with Columbia to produce a "Total Recall" remake. More...

September 14, 2007: The Weekly Ketchup: New Indiana Jones Title, Iron Man Trailer, and More!
In this week's Ketchup, we finally learn the title of the fourth Indiana Jones film, the Iron Man trailer blasts onto the net, and writer Paul Haggis allays our fears that we... More...

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