The future ain’t what it used to be.
That holds doubly true for this generic, cut-and-paste remake of 1990's “Total Recall," a sci-fi action thriller based on “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” a short story by Phillip K. Dick.
The first “Total Recall,” an R-rated, rowdy romp starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed with his usual over-the-top enthusiasm by Paul Verhoeven (“Showgirls”), was partly set on Mars.
The new movie, directed by Len Wiseman (“Underworld”), is decidedly earth-tethered in every way. The closest we get to the Red Planet here is a brief joking spoken reference to it.
Also read: 'Total Recall' Premiere: Jessica Biel, and Kate Beckinsale on Killing Her Husband (Video)
The latest “Total Recall” is set in a dystopian future in which the only inhabitable parts of Earth are the United Federation of Britain (which includes much of Europe) and its subjugated outpost, the Colony (Australia).