Total Recall (2012 Version)

Actors:  Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, Bill Nighy
Rating:  8 out of 10, I did not have high expectations for this because I loved the original Verhoeven version, even though it included the acting chops of the Governator. I’m also not a huge fan of Colin Farrell (I mean have you seen Alexander) but it did include Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale so there was no way I was missing this movie. I was totally blown away by the film. Instead of rehashing the same story of the earlier film they went in a new direction with incredibly realistic special effects that were over the top. The story was completely new with the same character names and there were several odes to the old movie, some more obvious than others, which I always like. I’m going to watch both films to catch even more. I love it when a movie surprises me and Total Recall did. All three leads were at the top of their game, especially Beckinsale who proves she doesn’t need to wear spandex to be dangerous. I even liked Farrell who took his character in a completely new direction from Arnold which I liked.  Both of the women in this movie took on the brunt of the action and made Farrell look like a sissy at times.  This was a good flick which I wholeheartedly recommend.  There is an extended version on the blu ray which I watched instead of the theatrical version.  The theatrical version is much better and keeps the pace up.  The extended version dragged in a number of places, obviously the director added back in some things that were rightfully excluded in the theatrical version.
MVP:  Beckinsale as the totally hot and incredibly dangerous Mrs. Quaid