OK, so there is no getting of asses to Mars, and the chances of a three boob-ed lady or Kuato showing up are slim, but this new (full) trailer for Len “Underworld” Wiseman certainly delights in recycling images from the Paul Verhoeven film – only glossier and 21st century CGI-ier.
I sure hope that Kate Beckinsale gets her arms severed in this one, because the trailer seems to indicate that her character is a composite of both the Sharon Stone and the Michael Ironside characters in the 1990 version (but “See you at the party, Lori!” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.)
Colour me biased to Verhoeven’s excessively trashy ways and unimpressed by Wiseman’s previous record as a slick – if totally bland – action director.
I remain unimpressed. The trailer is below.
I am starting to hate JJ Abrahams just for inspiring filmmakers to overuse lens flares.
Just starting to dislike Abram’s filmmaking (nothing against the guy, his conference/candid speaking stuff is great)? I think MI:3 sealed the deal for me.
This trailer just makes me want to watch the original (which I haven’t yet seen)
Well, still sort of in the category of “needless remakes”, but I personally think it looks kind of cool.
Of course I’m a HUGE Collin Farrel apologist and Beckinsale makes my shallow list pretty consistently. So I’m on board with this.
I also like to nitpick the fact that the film was filmed in Toronto, yet you will likely never be able to tell it by watching the film (I wish the city really had CGIed futuristic landscapes)
I think it looks cool, too. (I haven’t seen the original, nor do I really know anything about the story.) I’ll probably be disappointed ultimately, but my hopes were raised especially by the long-take circular tracking shot when he took down that squad. But the film will probably devolve into million-cuts-a-minute standard Hollywood action editing. Still, I’d watch it based on this trailer.
The Paul Verhoeven one has to be seen to be believed. It’s nutty in all the right ways. Classic Sci-Fi action in my book. It’s still watched often.
I’m still of the opinion that it could have potential. Not going to Mars brings it closer to Philip K. Dick original short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”. As I think I mentioned last time this was brought up, there’s certainly ideas in the short story not used in the original Total Recall that could make for an interesting movie. If anything, I hope they use the ending from the short story.
During “real time” in the short story he doesn’t go to Mars, however, that trip is in his memory (or fantasy), along with his memory (or fantasy) of having saved the earth from the mouse-sized aliens. So, if you believe that his memories are true then he did go to Mars, but that’s the twist, isn’t it.
Sticking too closely to the short story would have probably made quite a poor film. The writers of the 1990 film kept you guessing, at least for quite a while, keeping with the spirit of the short story at least in that regard.
I have not seen the new version, but I have read that it is all about the action this time round and much less (or not at all) about the “what is real?” aspects.