Customer Reviews

Total Recall (Bilingual) [Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great movie, amazing scenic variations, great performances and great music, BUT, with the constant audio dropouts, it became increasingly annoying to watch! Amazon should NOT be selling these Blu-rays when there's a known problem with them! Have sent in a request from Sony for a replacement at: consumer@sphecustomersupport.sony.com . Do not want to have to send back to Amazon since the return cost is prohibitive! Hopefully I'll get a positive responce to my request.

Addendum: Sony will NOT send out replacements, instead there will be Firmware Fixs for Blu-ray players, maybe!, somewhere in the Future to take care of the Audio issue. (Don't hold your breath!)
Audio playback for this Blu-ray must be switched off either Auto, or Bitstream, to PCM. Then there's no more audio dropouts. Canceled my Amazon replacement since a replacement will only have the same problem!
(Apparently, for defective product, Amazon repays your return shipping costs.)

Added info: Fixes for various current Blu-ray players. After the Fix - No More Audio Drop Outs!

PS3 Slim - From PS3 crossbar, go to:

1.Settings
2.Video Settings
3.BD/DVD Audio Output Format (HDMI)
4.Change to Linear PCM

Sony BDP-S360 / Sony BDP-S460 / Sony BDP-S560 - From player crossbar, go to:

1.Setup
2.Audio Settings
3.BD Audio Setting
4.Change to Mix

Sony 790 - From player crossbar, go to:

1.Setup
2.Audio Setting
3.BD Audio Mix Setting
4.Change to On

Oppo BDP-83 / Oppo BDP-93

1.Goto Setup
2.Audio Format Setup
3.HDMI Audio
4.Select LPCM

This bluray has sound dropouts on its dolby hd soundtrack. They are small but aggravating. The movie is ok,but I expected a few more lines from the original. Eg "consider that a divorce".

Total Recall is a 2012 American dystopian science fiction action film remake of the 1990 film of the same name, which was in turn loosely based on the 1966 short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick - factory worker accidentally discovers that his current life is a fabrication predicated upon false memories implanted into his brain -follows clues to gradually recover his suppressed memories

If you are unwilling to give this remake a real shot then I feel sorry for you because it is a good movie in its own rights with nice action, special effects, story etc. It is different enough from the original to stand on its own.

Prefered the original "Arnie" version, more action on the Red Planet versus the corporate greed of the second version. Interesting action movie still though, the center travel is correct except for the US point of departure. Only through florida is the trip possibile.

This is a great sci-fi movie. The CGI is really good. Collin Farrell's acting is excellent. The only downside for me is Jessica Biel. I'm not a fan. It would have been better if Kate Beckinsale had her part instead.

Same tale, with a few changes. No Mars, this time...chemical warfare has tainted most of the Earth. There's only two inhabitable regions: an enlarged British republic and "The Colony" (Australia).. Most of the "have nots" live in The Colony and commute on what's basically a super-subway which goes right through the Earth's core (obviously, advanced technology but you wouldn't catch me riding in the damn thing! Colin Farrel plays Quaid this time and does a good job. He's better actor than Arnold was at the tome. Plus at 14A, it doesn't have the unneeded gratuitous violence as in Verhoeven's version. Hauser, this time, has left plenty of recorded messages for himself to help survive. Also, in this version the government's propaganda machine has Colonists, who wish equality, as terrorists.

There are occasional pokes at the original and the film is incredibly fast-paced.

PS I gave it an extra star because the science was more real. In the first version, they supposed ended up with Mars with an Earth-like atmosphere. Unless the breathing air ice was in infinite supply, the air would just bleed quickly into space. Reason: Mars isn't massive enough to hold that much atmosphere.

This could have been the original; it has a different twist than the first. With a different title could stand alone as a great movie. Very enjoyable with good acting all around.

Total Recall(released Aug/12)stars Colin Farrell as Douglas "Doug" Quaid/Carl Hauser,Kate Beckinsale as Lori, Jessica Biel as Melina,Bryan Cranston as Chancellor Vilos Cohaagen,Bokeem Woodbine as Harry,Bill Nighy as Matthias Lair,John Cho as Bob McC and others.As a "reviewer",one will come upon films,specifically remakes(alarmingly on the increase in today's Hollywood),and have different expectations than an "original" film.One of the basic tenets of a reviewer is to be objective,but being the human beings that we are,that isn't always 100% possible,ALL of the time.Prejudices do creep in whether personal or otherwise.I have to admit beforehand that I really liked the original,so when I watched this film for the first time today I was telling the film mentally"Show me what you can do...convince me".So with that bit off my chest,let's see what the story is all about.
It is in an Earth future,with a Blade Runner-ish look,where wars at the end of the 21st century have almost completely devastated the entire planet.There are two countries left,the UFB(United federation of Britain) and the Colony(Australia).The UFB imports alot of its workforce from the Colony and they come and go daily by the "Fall".This huge cylindrical device carries thousands of passengers from one country to the other,through the middle of the Earth.Farrell lives with Beckinsale,and is stuck in a dead end job.He keeps having recurring dreams about being captured by police forces while a female accomplice escapes.One day he heads over to Rekall,a place where they can implant new memories of anything a client desires.Farrell picks being a secret agent.Just before they start the process they realize Farrell has already a secret agent implant and they stop it.Just then the police burst in and Farrell,acting on unknown instincts,takes the entire six man team out.Farrell escapes and returns home only to have Beckinsale turn against him and pursue him through the city,trying to kill him.It seems she was a police plant,pretending to be his wife and that he was at one time working for chancellor Cohagen.
The trick Farrell now has is to survive and find out exactly who he is and what they wanted of him.There are many trails for him to go through,but he eventually meets up with the woman from his dreams who is actually working for the resistance(Biel).Along the way Farrell finds equipment of his and his old apartment where the pieces start to come together.Farrell it seems was working for the chancellor initially but changed sides when he became aware of the chancellor's agenda to raze the Colony and build a new one.He was recaptured and re-programed by the chancellor but now that he has regained his memory he must try and stop the chancellor's plans from coming to fruition,with Biels help.He meets up with the resistance leader,but soon after the police arrive and take down the leader.Farrell and Biel are recaptured,with the chancellor ordering that Farrell's mind be wiped to its original self.Before they can do that Farrell escapes.
The chancellor now puts into motion his plans of a Colony conquest and sends thousands of troops onto the Fall.Farrell follows the chancellor and Biel onto it.During the transport's journey Farrell plants explosives and manages to rescue Biel.At the other end the clamps holding the machine in place explode one by one,until it free falls and breaks apart in a huge explosion.After it all Farrell is in an ambulance and he wakes up to find Biel there,but it is really Beckinsale in disguise.He dispatches her and the real Biel and he are reunited.
This new version of the film doesn't leave Earth,as did the first one to Mars.The strife is all here instead of on another planet.There are a few nods to the original as when Farrell says he had always wanted to go to Mars.There is also a check out through security onto the Fall,which mimics the security check when arriving on Mars in the original.It also has a woman checking ahead of a disguised Farrell.For those who recall the original,we are tricked into thinking that Farrell is really the woman,but it is a red herring.Overall I found I just could not get too involved with Farrell and company.There just wasn't enough oomph there,not enough spark to really pull me in.The acting that was tepid and couldn't "believe" enough for it to work for me.I also was wondering,plot wise,why did the Colony not blow up the Fall's entry point at their end in order to kybosh the chancellors invasion plans? Bottom line,sad to say,it couldn't "convince" me.
Technically speaking the film is in its w/s a/r of 2:40:1 and is clear and crisp.Extras include about three featurettes,commentary and a gag reel.
All in all a disappointing remake of the original starring Colin Farrell.Farrell just does not have the acting chops to compete with Ahh-nold from the original,nor make us forget the original and focus on HIS efforts.Biel and others he spends most of his on screen time with,are also tepid.Beckinsale is the exception and Nighy does a good but short turn as the resistance leader,but it is all for naught.

Better than the first version by miles...great graphics...better acting and story.
You'll wish you never saw the first one...sorry Arnold, Sharon and Michael.