Films, Producers & Audiences - Task 2: Remaking Movies

Original vs Remake - Total Recall

For a remake to have a chance at fame, it must undergo changes to become its own. Some are radical – like changing major plot points, locations, or characters – while others are minute – like changing aesthetics or lines of dialogue – but the point is that the movie you watch is not based on the first draft. 

However, with Len Wiseman's Total Recall (2012) - compared to Paul Verhoeven's Total Recall (1990) seems to involve drastic changes in almost every aspect of the film.

Total Recall  was loosely based on the short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick. However, the 2012 movie has a plot that more closely follows the 1990 movie rather than the story.

Total Recall is an Adventure/Action/Sci-Fi piece.

General basics:

Location

• Total Recall (1990) Earth and Mars, including aliens

• Total Recall (2012) Earth, no aliens

Since it did not feature any alien machinery, mutants, or even the mention of Mars, the remake of Total Recall has a more grounded, serious style, which reflects the conflict occurring at the time. 

Both the set designs are highly advanced for the years they were made. 1990's Total Recall had many special effects in makeup (such as alien skin-tones, mutations, and unusual deaths) and locations. 2012's Total Recall displayed vast CGI images with incredible detail which made the film complete.

The Conflict

• Total Recall (1990)  Mars Governor, Vilos Cohaagen, discovers an alien artifact that could threaten his control over exportation of Martian resources as well as Mars residents (who work and spend money under his administration). Resistance forces seek to activate the artifact and give control of Mars back to the working people

• Total Recall (2012) Following World War III, which leaves much of Earth uninhabitable, there are only two hospitable locations left on the planet: the United Federation of Britain (UFB) and the impoverished Colony. Colony inhabitants travel to the UFB daily for work – via a massive transit vehicle, “The Fall.” Terrorist acts by alleged resistance fighters threaten a tenuous peace between the two nations – as the UFB considers military action against The Colony in order to stamp out potential future threats.

As shown above, the plot within the two versions of Total Recall differs completely. Not many references can be pulled from either one to compare, however most characters remained unchanged.

Protagonist

• Total Recall (1990) Douglas “Doug” Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger): Construction worker who lives on Earth.

• Total Recall (2012) – Douglas “Doug” Quaid (Colin Farrell): Factory worker in the UFB who lives in The Colony.

Quaid is shown as a man with a hidden training of fighting. He is both brave and determined, wanting to find out about his hidden memory no matter what the cost.

The way Quaid has been portrayed by both actors changed more physically than mentally.

The trends of wanting incredibly bulky, large men with almost no Achilles heel as the protagonist have faded, audiences want to see a character they can relate to, and to try gain a personal connection with them. 2012's Douglas Quaid is shown more human.



Primary Antagonist

• Total Recall (1990) – Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox): Corrupt Governor of Mars.

• Total Recall (2012) – Vilos Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston): War veteran turned UFB Leader.

Cohaagen is the twisted enemy of Quaid. We see Vilos in the 1990's version drastically more than the 2012 version. It's understandable that Bryan Cranston was starred for this role, what with Breaking Bad, a TV series which he stars in has reached major popularity, many audience members would be interested to see Total Recall because of this. However Cohaagen did not seem to have a large on-screen role, and in fact many were dissapointed that Bryan was given a character that he deserved. 

Wife

• Total Recall (1990) – Lori Quaid (Sharon Stone): A Cohaagen Operative.

• Total Recall (2012) – Lori Quaid (Kate Beckinsale): A United Federation of Britain Operative.

Lori is shown as the wife of Quaid. Her act of a loving and dedicated woman to Quaid degrades as Doug slowly realizes something is wrong with his life. Both versions of Lori are shown as incredibly strong, both physically and mentally, and cares only for her mission of killing Quaid.

Both versions of Lori were probably starred for the male audience in mind. The beauty of Lori was important for both stories, as it showed her (at the start) as the caring wife of Quaid, depicting a happy lifestyle that he would never question. For the mainstream audience, it is pleasing to see a female character who is both good looking and a strong antagonist who can fight.

'True' Love

• Total Recall (1990) – Melina (Rachel Ticotin): A Mars resistance fighter.

• Total Recall (2012) – Melina (Jessica Biel): A Colony resistance fighter.

Melina is portrayed roughly the same in both versions of Total Recall. She is a resistance fighter, who convinces Quaid that he is not who he thinks he is, and that his dreams are real.

(1990 Trailer)



(2012 Trailer)

Other Details:

Box-office Figures

Both Recall's seemed to do well in their figures.

1990:

Budget - $65.000.000

Opening Weekend

$25.533.700 (USA)
£175.166 (UK)

2012:

Budget - $125.000.000

Opening Weekend

$25.577.758 (USA)
PHP 28.809.494 (Philippines)

Awards

The original unquestionably more awards than the remake. It was nominated for 15 awards - including two Oscars - and holds 7 wins. The remake however, was nominated for four awards, and won none.

http://screenrant.com/total-recall-2012-vs-1990/4/

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Guide-Total-Recall-You-Didn-t-See-32326.html

http://filmconnoisseur.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/original-vs-remake-comparison-total.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Recall_(1990_film)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Recall_(2012_film)