Over the weeks of action movies at the Village 6 Cinemas in Suva from 'The Amazing Sideman' and 'The Dark Knight Rises' I thought the movie Total Recall would at least have a more interesting story-line and action just like the preview showed, but I was wrong.
So shallow.
For the record The Amazing Spiderman was nothing compared to the first Spiderman, like they say 'more talking and less action'. The same can be said about The Dark Knight Rises.
Anyway just like the man who sat directly in front of me and kept blocking my view - hanging his arm over his head, Colin Farrell's Total Recall movie blocked out the essential details of the story line, details I believe would have guided a viewer like myself to a satisfactory conclusion.
Having now seen the movie - some parts, through gaps from the arm of my obstructor, too many questions clog my mind - like how in the world did the main boy start to remember his true self? Did the movie adequately portray that he and his new love interest were true lovers, and why were action screens so lame and not as thrilling as I had anticipated.
By the end of the movie, I had no idea where he came from, where he got his training from, how his life as we saw it on screen began, who trained him to fight, etc.
In many movies like this, the main boy would have memory flashbacks of his previous life, but funnily enough, not this one.
In the movie, the main boy has a wife, no kids. Somehere in the middle he is brainwashed. Apparently his marriage is a scam, some sort of created life, which he is made to believe.
In the movie previews weeks before, Farrell playing secret agent Douglas Hauser takes out about ten men single-handedly with his slick martial arts moves. "Ahh here's a good action movie," I had thought to myself when I saw the trailer. After watching it now, all I can recall is how Farrell runs for dear life from a woman.
I read on a couple of websites that this movie, a re-boot of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone's version in 1990, failed to be more successful than the old version. I definitely agree. Let's just say, Colin Farrell has done better movies like Swat, Phone Booth and The Recruit.
In this 2012's Total Recall version, set as a futuristic action movie, it seemed predictable than anything else. But I wouldn't say it's not worth watching .... more like it failed to impress me. The movie Total Recall also featured prominent actresses Kate Beckinsale who featured in the movie Underworld and Jessica Biel who starred in the movies, Blade and The A-Team.
Ok, so don't blame the cast, let's check out the movie director and producer Len Wiseman, whose had experience in producing action-pack movies like 'Live Free and Die Hard' (Bruce Wills), Underworld , Godzilla, Men in Black, Independence Day. These were block buster movies with amazing graphic effects that made motion pictures seem so real.
All I'm saying is, if you compare Wiseman's 2012's Total Recall, to other blockbuster movies he produced and earned millions from the worldwide viewers who love it, he could have done a little better with Total Recall.
At least the gentleman in the front row later apologised for blocking my view and considerately moved to the next seat so I could see better. As for Total Recall, there was no way in the world I could do anything to change it.
I thought I should have apologised to him because he tried to do me a favour by blocking out a movie with a predictable story-line.
Anyway the movie is based in the future with flying cars and buildings stretching across the skies.
A brainwashed Hauser (Farrell) lives a normal life in a country ruled by a corrupt leader until he discovers by accident a set of skills he possesses. He uses his new found skills to fight his way out of the anarchy communist-like society to seek his true identity. His wife and friends become his enemies, and the enemies he once call the 'Resistance' are now his friends.
Hauser becomes the number one fugitive and goes through great lengths to find out his true identity accompanied by a woman played by Jessica who is supposed to be his lover but he can't remember her at all.
Hauser is captured and just like those predictable movies where the good guy escapes because the bad guy takes his time finishing him off, Hauser breaks free.
And just like the multiple explosions you'll see in Steven Segal's movies towards the end when he takes revenge, Hauser blows up everything to stop the corrupt. And yes you guessed it right ...main boy wins!