Total Recall (1990)

The critic highlights the smart script based on Philip K. Dick and Verhoeven's over-the-top mix of black humour, ultra-violence and spectacular special effects. They single out Sharon Stone's performance as a standout that led to her star-making role in Basic Instinct.

The critic views Total Recall as a thoroughly Verhoevenian film that succeeds precisely because of its blockbuster scale and corporate trappings. He singles out for praise the way the satire functions at an atomic level through the caricaturing of Schwarzenegger's action-hero persona and the film's playful pitch-black comedy.

The critic praises the perfect team-up of Schwarzenegger, Verhoeven and Philip K. Dick, noting that the theme of identity loss and untrustworthy memories remains intact despite deviations from the source story. They single out the film's slick, sly and subversive qualities, along with its charm despite aged effects.

The critic finds the film no fun at all despite its action and effects, describing it as heavy-spirited and pounding. The elaborate Philip K. Dick-derived plot is dismissed as useless window dressing for meaty action sequences, with Verhoeven's earlier wit and elegance lost in Hollywood bombast.

The critic calls it a nonstop roller-coaster of action entertainment with a brain, full of vast sets, explosions, plot twists and ultra-violence that keeps pulling the rug out from under the viewer. They praise the clever revelations and note that while some rubberized effects have dated, it remains thoroughly enjoyable and worryingly satisfying.

The critic praises Schwarzenegger's vulnerable performance as a confused man whose reality is betrayed, which anchors the high-tech spectacle. The film is lauded for its complex, visually inventive sci-fi premise drawn from Philip K. Dick, blending action with mind-bending questions about memory and identity.

The critic calls it a vigorous, superviolent interplanetary thriller that effectively merges Schwarzenegger's star persona with a strong sci-fi premise. Verhoeven is commended for generating artificial excitement through special effects and action, though noted for sometimes overdoing it.