Total Recall 2012 trailer
Ever since word of the 2012 remake of the 1990 movie Total Recall (starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, and Bryan Cranston) began circulating via various publicity vehicles including the above movie trailer, it begged (no screamed) the question, why? Why, Hollywood? Why do you need to remake already well-made movies like this one? The original Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, and Ronny Cox, and loosely based on the 1966 Philip K Dick short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, was made only 22 years ago and was just fine to begin with...better than fine in fact since any movie strong enough to distract from Arnold's poor acting is one very good movie! Additionally, it is not like the original Total Recall was a foreign language film that needed an English language/Americanized version. Of course that excuse for remaking foreign language films based on the premise that Americans won't read subtitles is ridiculous anyway, but even so why not simply dub foreign movies into English for Stateside release? The rest of the world sits through American blockbusters dubbed in their native tongue, so why not the other way around?
Already, movie fans - all of whom have not seen the new version - are slamming the remake saying that Hollywood should have left well enough alone. Meanwhile, the new movie's makers contend that Total Recall Version 2012 is not simply a straight remake; it alters the storyline, leaving out all the Mars scenes and adding more of a modern era international political backdrop. Personally, I am with these other movie fans in believing that they should not have remade Total Recall. Why not just adapt another good SciFi story to the big screen? There are so many great SciFi novels that should be given the film treatment.
