DVD When construction worker Douglas Quaid purchases a memory implant holiday to Mars, the procedure unlocks a hidden identity and propels him into a violent conspiracy on the red planet.
Details
Douglas Quaid is troubled by recurring dreams of Mars and a mysterious brunette woman. Instead of travelling there physically, he opts for a virtual vacation from Rekall - a company that implants artificial memories. However, during the procedure something goes catastrophically wrong. Quaid begins reacting as though he already possesses hidden memories of being a secret agent operating on Mars.
Sent home in a daze, Quaid soon finds his world collapsing. Co-workers attempt to kill him, his wife Lori turns out to be something very different from what she seemed, and shadowy operatives pursue him relentlessly. A hidden message from his "other self" sets him on a real journey to Mars, where the lines between implanted fantasy and suppressed reality blur even further.
On Mars, Quaid becomes entangled with a rebel movement fighting the tyrannical administrator Vilos Cohaagen. With the help of Melina and the psychic mutant Kuato, he uncovers a secret that could transform the planet forever. But the central question lingers: is any of this real, or is Quaid still strapped to a chair at Rekall experiencing the ultimate memory implant?
Picture & Sound
I was disappointed with the sound mix on this disc. For a film packed with explosions, gunfire and futuristic chaos, the surround channels are surprisingly restrained. I repeatedly checked my setup to ensure everything was functioning correctly. Dialogue is clear and centre-steered well enough, but the lack of aggressive rear activity and LFE punch takes away from what should be a demo-worthy track.
The picture quality is serviceable but hardly spectacular. Although there is no noticeable artifacting and the bit-rate remains steady, the image often appears washed out and lacking vibrancy. Granted, much of the film takes place on the dusty red surface of Mars, but the transfer feels flatter than expected. On the plus side, there is no colour bleeding - an improvement over older video editions.
Overall
The thing that surprised me most revisiting this film was Arnold's performance. His acting is so wooden at times that it borders on unintentionally hilarious. It certainly exposes the limitations of his early Hollywood outings. That said, the film itself is far stronger than that criticism suggests.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Total Recall blends ultra-violence, dark humour and genuine science-fiction paranoia in a way few blockbusters dare attempt. Beneath the explosions and mutant prosthetics lies an intriguing question about identity and memory that lingers long after the end credits.
This Region 4 disc was purchased during a trip to Australia, and interestingly it is encoded for both R4 and R2 - useful information for collectors with multi-region players eager to obtain titles earlier than their domestic release. Whether all Region 2 discs are similarly encoded remains an interesting question.
Special features
- Theatrical Trailer
