not horrible nor great

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Verhoeven's opus is one of the last non-CGI sci-fi action films, and one of the best Schwarzenegger vehicles. The effects in this film are lovingly done, and always memorable, even if they don't quite achieve photorealism: "The Lady" at the spaceport (aka Arnold = Douglas Quade in disguise); pulling the probe from Quade's nose; the scene where the camera sweeps away from the train window to Mars; and of course those bulging Mars-eyes at the end. I enjoy the mastery of physical effects whenever I see it again.This film has some of Arnold's better acting, and the support cast is great: Sharon Stone as the 'wife' to keep Arnold under wraps, the sweaty psychiatrist, Mel Johnson as the cab driver with a skeletized double arm, Ronnie Cox as the embodiment of corporate evil, and Ironsides as his henchman. And that's only the start. Verhoeven really gets the best out of his staff, and proves once again, as in Robocop, Starship Troopers and Basic Instinct that he is an auteur of gritty action-drama. I know it's heresy, but at his best he's like a violent Hitchcock.Don't look for Phil Dick's true spirit here, although the film nicely rehearses the paradoxes of when is dream reality and reality dream (e.g. the psychiatrist scene). Verhoeven made the topic his own, in a good way, with less of Dick's intellectual probing, and more action.It's too bad they don't make films like this any more, and instead make them like the 2000s sequel: boring, flat, fake-looking CGI-laden, with competent but uninspired acting, going through the action moves.Like many Verhoeven films, a classic.

Arnie started the 90s with a bang with Total Recall- an awesome science fiction action film from Dutch Paul Verhoevan. Arnie plays a man who has his memory implanted with an adventure on Mars but soon he realizes that he may actually be on the planet and not just in his memories. Confused? Well, you should see this film to truly understand the plot. Although much like every Arnold vehicle this one has its fair share of action and explosion, there is also an underlying theme and deep meaning in there. Also, Sharon Stone looks stunning.

Loosely inspired by one of Philip K. Dick's stories, this is a superb sci-fi action thriller set in a dystopic 2084 about a construction worker named Quaid who decides to go on a 'vacation' by having memories of a secret agent fantasy implanted into his brain, only for things to go horribly awry...or maybe not. Despite a few silly and cheesy moments, this is a wonderful, if violent action thriller that is both entertaining, and rather thought provoking. It really toys with that oft-used concept of blurring the line between what's real and what isn't, and this is one of the few films that actually does it quite well, with enough evidence to support multiple theories, with the true ending of the film dependent upon each viewer's own opinion. Like many of Verhoeven's American films, it's got a lot of violence, but provides a lot of thought provoking ideas and material, often satirical, as well. It's all presented with some groundbreaking special effects (almost all of them done practically or in camera as opposed to CGI), a terrific score by Jerry Goldsmith, and some decent, if sometimes silly, but still fun performances. And let's not forget about the most memorable thing this film has to offer: a three-breasted mutant prostitute! Definitely give this one a watch. It's not flawless, but it is remarkably strong, and easily one of both Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger's best films.

Acting: 10/10: Arnie, Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside, all in one movie!Plot: 10/10: Excellent quest for discovery of past secrets. The protagonist doesn't know why he's being hunted and as the movie advances we discover the complexity of the world he lives in and his past. There are many plot twists and they're all plausible. It's just so much more complex and better than contemporary movies. I watched it when I was pretty young and loved it, and after a few years I watched it again and found out many things I didn't understand or didn't notice, so I enjoyed it even more.Action: 10/10: Gunfights, chases, fist-fights, Arnie.This movie is so much better than the remake on all parameters, except maybe the special effects. I'd love to see a sequel with comparably good plot.