Total Recall

Released: 2012
Sci-fi
Director: Len Wiseman
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston
Running Time: 118 minutes
Rated: PG-13

The breakdown:  A remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger Sci-fi film of the same name.

I call this Total Recall a total waste of time and it was totally unnecessary.

With that said, the basic plot is supposed to be closer to the original Phillip K. Dick story titled, "We can Remember it for you Wholesale."  Both movies were based on this short story, but the original I think adapted it into a much more interesting story line and a lot more entertaining.

This version switches things up and you certainly never get to go to Mars.  The world has been mostly destroyed by a chemical warfare agent and there's only two places that are left habitable...Australia and Britain.  People live and work in both places, but you get from one to the other by something called "The Fall."  It is a gigantic mode of transportation that takes you directly through the center of the Earth to get to the other side.
Obviously, Blade Runner still has a huge impact on Sci-fi films today because this one stole their visuals as far as the living quarters and streets go.  Everything's dark and rainy all the time, people are all squished together on busy streets and wearing clear coats, etc.  Lots and lots of visuals stolen from Blade Runner, so much so that my husband and I recognized it at the same time.

Anyway, I hate Colin Farrell and I loved the original movie so this was stinker for me.  The special effects were good and that's about it.

1 out of 5 for only the special effects.  All the fun of the first one was gone.
SKIP IT!!!! and watch the original again instead.