I’m a little late to the party with this trailer because of ECCC, which hit yesterday, but ho-leee crap. Colin Farrell makes me forget all about the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger/Paul Verhoeven cheese-fest of the same name with the trailer for their version of Total Recall. The new film, directed by Len Wiseman, supposedly sticks a bit closer to the Philip K. Dick short story, “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.”
I realize Len Wiseman also did the first two Underworld flicks, which should temper my unquenchable thirst for intelligent sci-fi action flicks, but this looks great. For what it’s worth, Wiseman didn’t write the script for this, unlike with Underworld. He also did Live Free or Die Hard, though I never saw that one. This new version is from a screenplay by Kurt Wimmer (Street Kings, Equilibrium, Salt) and Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard, Unstoppable, The Wolverine)… so… uh… hm. I guess we’ll find out when the whole film comes on August 3.
The official synopsis follows after the break…
Total Recall is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he’s got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.
Two weeks…two weeks :)
I honestly didn’t think I would be looking forward to this, but if it is as good as advertised I’ll go for it.
I am all on board with the trailer until the shoot out scene where the camera pushes in/out while Farrell is beating people up. Something about that shot really puts me off. Weisman’s movies usually do have good action to them, but bad acting and writing.
Live Free was entertaining but stretched the limits of the punishment McClane could take just a bit to far for me (though it was better than 2)
Though, I am one of the few people who think the Verhoeven film is a near masterpiece (I love all his movies).
I love that shot! Would it sway your opinion if you knew it was 100% practical? Because I think it’s damned impressive.
Oh, I am impressed with the skill it took to conceive of and execute a shot like that, it’s just something about it in the trailer puts me off. I can’t really put into words why though.
I am still excited for the movie. The flying car chase looks like it will be cool, and it’s hard not to get excited to see Bill Nighy in any role (he’s quite fun in Wrath of the Titans).
I do hope that it is going to be R rated and have some of the comical violence of the first one.
Oh, and the holographic disguise shown at the end of the trailer looks pretty fun as well.