When Columbia Pictures releases Len Wiseman’s Total Recall, in theaters August 3, a lot of us will be shocked at how similar it is to Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 adaptation of “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Thus far nothing says otherwise.
The studio just now released a third clip from the film that mirrors a classic fight sequence from the initial sci-fi epic, which begs the following questions: which fight scene is better, and who would you rather have kick your ass?
Below we’ve added both the fight between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone in the 1990 version, alongside the scuffle between Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale in the reboot. Personally, I’d rather have Beckinsale jumping in my face. You?
In the remake, “Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he’s got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) whom he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston) – there is no one Quaid can trust, except possibly a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) working for the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy). The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.“