Total Recall

 Year:  1990

Director:  Paul Verhoeven

Screenplay:  Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon and Gary Goldman, from a story by Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon and John Povill, based on the short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick

Starring:  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox

Running Time:  114 minutes

Genre:  Science-fiction, action

In a future where humans have colonised other planets of the Solar System, construction worker Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger) who lives on earth with his wife, Lori (Stone), is plagued by recurring dreams of a mysterious woman (Ticotin) on Mars, which is under the dominion of industrialist dictator Cohaagen (Cox).  Quaid visits an agency called Rekall, Inc. which implants realistic fake memories.  Quaid chooses an "Ego Trip" package where he can have a memory of visiting Mars under the guise of being a secret agent. However, during the implant procedure Quaid suddenly starts lashing out, revealing that he has already had his memory suppressed by a shadowy organisation.  Soon Quaid finds himself on the run, pursued by gunmen, lead by Richter (Ironside), Cohaagen's chief henchman, as he learns that his entire life as Douglas Quaid was an illusion, and Lori and his friends are all spies sent to watch him.  Searching for his true identity, Quaid travels to Mars, and makes contact with the underground resistance against Cohaagen's tyranny.  However, as Quaid's investigation progresses, dreams and reality become harder to distinguish.

Total Recall began as a short story called "We Can remember It for You Wholesale" by prolific science-fiction author Philip K. Dick.  The project spent a long time in development, at one time acclaimed horror director David Cronenberg was attached to direct, his vision of the film stuck close to the short story, in which Quaid, called Quail in the original, was a timid, weedy, little clerk.  Cronenberg wrote twelve drafts of the script, but the producers were unhappy with his cerebral take on the material, because they wanted, in producer/writer Ronald Shusett's terms "Raiders of the Lost Ark go to Mars".  Eventually Dutch director Paul Verhoeven, who had had a hit with RoboCop (1987), was given the director's job, and Arnold Schwarzenegger was chosen to star.  Obviously, Schwarzenegger is no-one's idea of a timid, weedy little clerk, as the film moved further away from the Philip K. Dick short story.  At the time, Total Recall was one of the most expensive films ever made, and it remains one of the iconic science-fiction and action films of that era.  Verhoeven was good at lacing fast paced, lurid action and carnage with  often quite subversive satire (here Cohaagen is the ultimate evil capitalist who has even privatised the air supply).  The special effects are showing their age, but mostly still stand up, particularly the vast alien complex where the film's climax takes place, and the Martians, who are mutated due to the use of cheap, inadequate protective domes, are memorable.  The film moves along at a good pace, it's funny, there is plenty of action, and very graphic violence, although the pulpy plotting often becomes very silly.  Although, one of the most interesting aspects of the film is the possibility that the whole thing is  Quaid's fantasy, which makes the daftness and weirdness make more sense.  The film leaves the question open, and there are hints in the film either way.  The performances are pretty good, including Sharon Stone in her first major role, but everything takes second place to Arnie and the action.  Arnold Schwarzenegger is basically Arnold Schwarzenegger, doing what he does best, he handles the action well and delivers the odd quip. Quaid himself comes across more as a gleefully violent anti-hero in his quite callous attitude, probably a lot of civilians get caught up in the crossfire in this film  (in the film's most controversial scene he points a gun at Lori who says: "You won't shoot me, will you?  After all, we're married."  Quaid shoots her point blank in the head and quips: "Consider that a divorce.").  One of the movies incidental pleasures is the future world, including self-driving taxis, with irritating robot taxi drivers, called "Johnny Cabs", although some of the future world looks charmingly dated now.  This is the kind of film that as it goes on, you get caught up in it, and it is a fun action packed ride.  Later you start picking holes in it.  It is flawed, but I enjoyed it.

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall

Blade Runner 2049

Year of Release:  2017
Director:  Denis Villeneuve
Screenplay:  Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, from a story by Hampton Fancher, based on characters from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Starring:  Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, Jared Leto
Running Time:  163 minutes
Genre:  Science-fiction

This is the long-awaited sequel to Blade Runner (1982), one of the most influential science-fiction movies of all time.  The film is set in 2049, where a series of environmental disasters have made the use of biologically engineered artificial humans known as "replicants" a necessity for humanity's survival.  However some of the older model replicants have not integrated and they are hunted down and executed (or "retired") by police "Blade Runner" units.  The film focuses on K. (Gosling), a Blade Runner, and I won't say anything else because it would be something of a spoiler.

This is possibly one of the most visually stunning films that I have ever seen.  It is absolutely beautiful, moving from neon-drenched cityscapes to desolate, grey wasteland, to burnished orange deserts, all swathed in mist, dust, rain and snow.  However, as with the original film, this is a demanding watch, because it is very slow, and long.  It moves at it's own rhythm, and if you can go along with that and surrender yourself to it's spell then it really works.  As with the original the characters tend to get washed out in the visuals.  Ryan Gosling plays his lead role in a similar manner to his role in Drive (2011), Ana de Armas gives the film some much needed heart as Gosling's hologram girlfriend, and it is worth pointing out that, while Harrison Ford does reprise his role from the first film, he does not appear until very late in this film and has little more than an extended cameo.  In fact, Harrison Ford's appearance is something of a spoiler, but he is featured very heavily on the poster and all the publicity for the film.
In many ways, I prefer this to the original, the storyline is intriguing, with an interesting central mystery, and it still tackles the Big Issues about the nature of humanity.  While the length and pace might put off some viewers, I think that this film will find it's audience sooner or later, and there are images and scenes that I think will become iconic in the future.   
See this film, and see it on the biggest screen possible. This is dark, beautiful and intelligent science-fiction.

Ana de Armas and Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049       

The Adjustment Bureau

Year: 2011
Director: George Nolfi
Screenplay: George Nolfi, based on the short story "Adjustment Team" by Philip K. Dick
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly, Terence Stamp
Running Time: 105 minutes
Genre: Science-fiction, fantasy, romance, thriller

Summary: New York City, 2006: David Norris (Damon) is a charismatic US congressman who has just lost the race for the US Senate, and is a popular choice to win. Just before giving his concession speech he meets an English ballerina, Elise (Blunt), and the two are instantly attracted. The meeting inspires Norris to give a more honest speech than he had been intending. The speech wins him a lot of support and marks him as an early favourite to win the 2010 Senate race.
Some time later Norris meets Elise again. However it soon becomes apparent that there are people who are determined to keep them seperate. Norris discovers the existence of the "Adjustment Bureau", an organisation of beings who appear identical to humans, but in reality are not, who secretly control human lives and destiny, according to a pre-determined plan. Norris discovers that humans only have the illusion of free will and that most important decisions that affect people's lives are the result of manipulation by the Adjustment Bureau. However, Norris and Elise were never intended to meet and their romance is seriously affecting the Adjustment Bureau's plans. In order to be with Elise, Norris must pit himself against a seemingly all-powerful organisation, whose operatives can be anywhere, who can manipulate anyone around them, who can predict the future and who are determined to keep them apart.

Opinions: Given the marketing and the fact that this is a film based on a story by legendary science-fiction author Philip K. Dick (whose works also inspired Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990) and Minority Report (2002) among many others) audiences could be forgiven for thinking that this would be another action-packed science-fiction thriller, in fact it is at least as much if not more of a romance than it is science-fiction. In fact it's difficult to see exactly what audience it is mainly aimed at. Viewers expecting a science-fiction thriller could probably be put off by the romance elements, while viewers wanting a romantic film might be put off by the science-fiction thriller elements. However, it could work as a good "date" movie if one person wanted to watch a thriller and the other a romance then this film would make for a good compromise. To be fair to the film, there is enough in it to keep both romantiphobes and sf-haters interested.
The movie is only very loosely based on Philip K. Dick's 1954 short story which was much more science-fiction oriented, and also had a lot more humour and had no romance elements in it at all. The story the film tells is interesting, but never quite manages to successfully blend together the genres of romance, science-fiction and thriller. A lot of interesting ideas come up, but never quite get developed. For example the Adjustment Bureau themselves are never quite explored, although it is hinted that they might be angels. Also, despite being epicted at times as being near-omnipotent they seems to have a habit of making mistakes (the whole mess is set off when one of them falls asleep on the job), added to that the fact that sometimes they manage to turn up anywhere, and other times they are seen running after buses and taxis. Additionally, they constantly worry about the disruptions caused by Norris and Elise's romance, and yet they seem to cause far more disruption by trying to prevent it. The members of the Bureau are ultimately depicted as bureaucrats, guys in suits who are not basically bad or malicious, they just have a job to do and procedures to follow.
The film is very well acted. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt make for likeable and engaging leads and they have a lot of on-screen chemistry. Terence Stamp also impresses in a fairly small role as a sinister member of the Bureau.
The film does have it's share of good scenes and there are some good ideas in it, even if it never quite comes together. It might also have been more interesting if some of the themes of the Adjustment Bureau's manipulation of individual lives and human destiny were explored in a bit more detail. Still it's an entertaining enough film, even if it doesn't serve up everything you might expect or want from it.



Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in The Adjustment Bureau