The first trailer is here for Len Wiseman’s remake of Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger action fest, Total Recall. This new take on the Philip K. Dick short story dispenses with the Mars theme and sets the story in a future world that’s reminiscent of the visuals of the Fifth Element. Boasting some impressive digitally rendered set pieces, it looks both slick and engaging, complete with some cool stunts and eye-popping stylized imagery.
Colin Farrell plays Douglas Quaid, a seemingly ordinary factory worker who decides to take a “virtual vacation” from his life and have memories of a secret agent implanted into his mind. The line between fantasy and reality is shattered when the treatment reveals that Quaid is actually a covert agent, and this forces him to go on the run and take down Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston). Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel take over the roles played by Sharon Stone and Rachel Ticotin in Verhoeven’s original.
This updating of Recall has been referred to as a “grittier” version, though from the looks of the trailer – it seems to avoid the bloodier elements ( which made the original so memorable ) in favor of glossy visuals and hi-tech action. The screenplay was co-written by Mark Bomback (Unstoppable), James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) and Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium), and while it promises to have plenty of sci-fi action, it will be interesting to see if it also delves into the more intriguing aspects of implanted memories and perceived realities.
Here’s the synopsis:
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.
Check out our trailer here:
Total Recall opens August 3rd, 2012.
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