This episode of The Deja Review, Mart & Trev strap themselves into the memory machine for Total Recall (1990) and its 2012 remake — and only one of them leaves with their sanity intact.
They kick off with the 1990 original, a glorious, sweaty, one-liners-per-minute sci-fi masterpiece where Arnold blows up Mars, mutates half the cast, and still finds time to crack jokes. Mart and Trev are all in — practical effects, exploding heads, and Michael Ironside giving the greatest “I will absolutely kill you, Douglas Quaid” performance in the history of eyebrows.
They also go on a nostalgic tangent about their shared love of the 1980s TV series V, where Michael Ironside was so intense he felt like he was trying to overthrow an alien empire in every scene — which, to be fair, he was.
Then they hit the 2012 remake, where Colin Farrell runs through a very shiny, very clean future while everyone forgets to put any fun in the script. Mart shrugs: “It’s fine… I guess?” while Trev insists Colin Farrell's performance is commendable despite the story.
Expect rants about missing Mars, debates over whether three-breasted women are a required plot device, and a surprisingly lengthy discussion about Michael Ironside.
By the end, the verdict is clear:
The original is a glorious sci-fi fever dream…
The remake is just having one without the fever — or the dream — or Michael Ironside.
Two long time friends, one podcast.
This is The Deja Review.
Enjoy the episode and remember to like, follow and tell your friends.
As always a massive thank you to Little Foil Fish for our theme tune - @LittleFoilFish
Mart & Trev
YouTube - @TheDejaReview
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Deja Review Podcast
00:56 Exploring Total Recall: A Nostalgic Journey
06:43 Philip K. Dick's Influence on Sci-Fi Cinema
12:25 Special Effects: Then and Now
18:31 Character Dynamics and Actor Relationships
22:36 The 2012 Remake: A Different Take on Total Recall
31:36 Exploring Memories and Scars
32:06 Action Sequences and References
33:02 Grounding the Story: Earth vs Mars
34:14 Plot Holes and Character Changes
36:08 Stats, Errors, and Enjoyability
38:04 The Impact of the Title on Success
39:03 Comparing Lead Actors
41:01 Supporting Characters: A Comparison
42:54 Original vs Remake: A Preference
43:51 Michael Ironside: A Retrospective
46:38 5 to 1: Michael Ironside
01:00:30 Upcoming Films and Holiday Specials
01:02:35 Episode Blooper
Keywords
Total Recall, movie review, remakes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Philip K. Dick, sci-fi films, special effects, character analysis, nostalgia, film comparison, Total Recall, film review, Michael Ironside, action sequences, movie comparison, plot holes, character analysis, original vs remake, cinematic legacy, holiday films, Colin Farrell
