Total Recall (2012)
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A factory worker's life is upended when he discovers his memories of a secret agent life might be real.
The story
At the end of the 21st century, chemical warfare has devastated the Earth, leaving only the United Federation of Britain and the Colony as habitable lands. Douglas Quaid, a worker in the Colony, becomes weary of his life and visits Rekall to implant artificial memories of being a secret agent. However, during the process, it is discovered that Quaid already possesses real memories of being a spy. When a squad of UFB police arrives to intervene, Quaid's instincts kick in, and he finds himself in a dangerous situation that leads him to realize his life and marriage are not what they seem.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After fleeing his wife, a UFB intelligence agent, Quaid is rescued by Melina and learns his true identity as Carl Hauser, a former UFB agent who defected to the Resistance. He possesses a kill code to disable a robot army that the corrupt Chancellor Cohaagen intends to use to seize more land. Quaid must navigate a web of lies, including a betrayal by his friend Harry, who is actually a spy for Cohaagen. After a series of confrontations and a rescue by a fellow agent, Quaid infiltrates the Fall, a gravity elevator. He sets explosives to destroy Cohaagen's robot army and the Fall itself. In the aftermath, Quaid realizes Melina was a holographic disguise of his wife, but he eventually reunites with the real Melina as the Colony declares independence.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Len Wiseman
- Writers
- Kurt Wimmer · screenplay; Mark Bomback · screenplay; Ronald Shusett · story; Dan O'Bannon · story; Jon Povill · story; Kurt Wimmer · story
- Cast and characters
- Colin Farrell · Douglas Quaid / Carl Hauser; Kate Beckinsale · Lori; Jessica Biel · Melina; Bryan Cranston · Chancellor Vilos Cohaagen; Bokeem Woodbine · Harry; Bill Nighy · Matthias; John Cho · McClane/Mac; Will Yun Lee · Marek; Dylan Scott Smith · Agent Hammond
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- memory manipulation; identity; resistance
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- dystopian; cyberpunk; sci-fi
- Source material / true-story basis
- We Can Remember It for You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick
- Franchise connections
- Total Recall
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, though it was noted for its action sequences and production design.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 30% · scale: percentage · review count: 233; Metacritic · score: 43 · scale: 100 · review count: 41; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Razzie Award · Worst Supporting Actress · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film is an adaptation of a 1990 film of the same name.; The setting is on a futuristic Earth, not Mars.; The film was originally announced in 2009.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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