Total Recall is a 2012 American science fiction action film, based on the 1990 film of the same name and by extension the 1966 short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick. Unlike the original film, the plot for the 2012 film lacks a trip to Mars and contains strong political overtones. In addition, the film also blends Western and Eastern influences together, due to the fact that the two nation states, United Federation of Britain and The Colony, are battling for political power.
It is directed by Len Wiseman, written by Mark Bomback, James Vanderbilt, and Kurt Wimmer, starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Cho, and Bill Nighy. It was first announced in 2009. It was released in the United States and Canada on August 3, 2012 while it is scheduled to be released on Australia on the 6th of September, 2012.
Plot
In 2084, Earth has been divided into two superpowers following the devastation of World War III: the United Federation of Britain (UFB) and The Colony(formerly Australia), are locked in a struggle for supremacy. Citizens travel between the two nations via "The Fall", a supermassive underground gravity elevator which travels through the Earth's core.
Tired of his monotonous life in The Colony, factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) decides to visit Rekall, a company that implants artificial memories, spurred on by his recurring violent nightmares. Rekall employee McClane (John Cho) convinces Quaid to be implanted with memories of being a secret agent. Quaid is tested to ensure compatibility but fails and McClane accuses Quaid of really being a spy. McClane and his co-workers are suddenly gunned down by a squad of armored police officers. While Quaid is being arrested, he instinctively reacts and kills the officers before escaping.
Quaid returns home to his wife Lori (Kate Beckinsale) and confesses what has transpired. Lori attempts to kill Quaid, revealing that she is not really his wife of 7 years, but an undercover agent monitoring him for the past 6 weeks. After a struggle, Quaid flees and manages to escape Lori and the police. Hammond (Dylan Scott Smith), a man claiming to be a former associate, contacts Quaid via a cell phone embedded in his hand, disclosing the location of a nearby safe-deposit box. Hammond also asks Quaid if he has "the key," but Quaid does not know what key he is talking about. Quaid cuts the cell phone out of his hand to avoid being traced. In the safe-deposit box Quaid discovers a number of passports, an object like a set of headphones, and a solid black object about the size of the box for a fountain pen. A recorded message from his former self tells him to go to an apartment in UFB.
On the way, he meets Melina (Jessica Biel), the woman from his dreams. At the apartment Quaid sits at the piano and plays, but one of the black keys has a dull sound when it strikes. Quaid removes the key and replaces it with the black object from the safe-deposit box. When he continues to play, the key sounds correctly and this triggers another recorded message. The recording reveals that Quaid was formerly Carl Hauser, a highly skilled agent working for Chancellor Vilos Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston). Cohaagen plans to destroy the Colony and unite humanity under the UFB. After defecting to the resistance movement, Hauser was captured and implanted with false memories of life as a factory worker. The recording tells Quaid that Hauser had seen a code to stop the plan and that it is still in Quaid's memory, and can be recovered with the aid of resistance leader Matthias (Bill Nighy). Melina reveals that she was Hauser's lover, but the two were separated when Hauser was captured.
Interrupted by the police, Quaid and Melina find themselves surrounded. Quaid's friend Harry (Bokeem Woodbine) arrives and tries to convince Quaid that he is in a dream and that killing Melina is the only way to wake up. Quaid is conflicted, but sees Melina crying upon Harry's insistence that Quaid shoot her. Realizing that the whole situation is a ruse, Quaid kills Harry and flees with Melina, eventually escaping Lori's pursuit in the elevator shafts.
At the Resistance headquarters Matthias attempts to recover the code from Quaid's mind. On accessing Quaid's memories it is revealed that the code was a plot to allow Cohaagen to locate Matthias. Cohaagen and his forces arrive and kill Matthias and the resistance members, and capture Quaid and Melina. Cohaagen plans on erasing Quaid's personality and restoring his loyal agent Hauser. Quaid is able to escape with the aid of Hammond, who has infiltrated Cohaagen's forces.
Aboard The Fall, Quaid finds Cohaagen's robotic forces in stasis. He plants time-detonation bombs aboard The Fall before rescuing Melina. They are pursued by Cohaagen's human forces and ultimately end up on top of The Fall. Quaid is shot and separated from Melina. Cohaagen prepares to kill Quaid but is interrupted by Melina who has boarded a Federation gunship. While Melina kills Cohaagen's forces, Cohaagen and Quaid engage in a brutal hand-to-hand fight, culminating in Quaid stabbing Cohaagen while the bombs detonate. Quaid and Melina just barely escape the explosion.
Quaid wakes up in an ambulance and is greeted by Melina, but he notices the absence of a scar on her hand and realizes it is Lori in disguise. Lori overpowers Quaid and prepares to shoot him, but he manages to disarm and kill her. Quaid and Melina are reunited and embrace as a Rekall advertisement plays in the background.
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