Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Total Recall

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Total Recall – Opening August 3, 2012



Remakes seem to be all the rage these days, which, while it might diminish creativity, at least allows for the opportunity for a slick and extremely technically capable update. I can’t say I have fond memories – or explicit ones, for that matter – of the 1990 original directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone. Therefore, I’m happy to consider this as its own film, which is a very futuristic action-packed thriller about memory less and an unknown universe. Colin Farrell started out with action, and though he’s done some comedy and drama recently, it’s fun to see him back in the spotlight, running for his life. The vision of the future presented in this film is reminiscent of “Minority Report,” which also featured Farrell, and the plot is somewhat similar too, in the general sense of an innocent man running for his life while being told by everyone around him that he is in fact guilty. Kate Beckinsale is sure to be a productive asset in the film, and I’m unsure of whether Jessica Biel’s contributions will be as worthwhile. In the trend of contemporary sci-fi films, this appears to be much more about all-out action than story, so I’m hopeful that this will be coherent and compelling in addition to invigorating. It’s just the right kind of movie for late summer. Perhaps someone with a better memory of the original film can offer insight into whether this looks like an appropriate and dutiful update.