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August 3, 2012

At the Movies: New ‘Total Recall' slicker but soulless

By CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

Colin Farrell replaces Arnold Schwarzenegger in the new version of “Total Recall,” and the smug sense of campy meanness that made the original 1990 film feel so muscular and grotesque gives way to a vibe that's slick, shiny and deadly serious.

TOTAL RECALL

Director: Len Wiseman,

Cast: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel

Rating: PG-13

Running time: 116 minutes

Seriously, this movie has no sense of humor — there are maybe two jokes, both of which are callbacks to the first movie. Farrell doesn't get to utter any corny one-liners as he rips off a bad guy's arms. And maybe this is good, this attempt at reinvention. It certainly makes director Len Wiseman's film move more energetically and efficiently, at least until the repetitive and overlong ending: a barrage of anonymous automatic gunfire and heavy-duty explosions.


 
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