Total Recall (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review - Page 4

Originally Posted by Emaych 

Went through a period of just buying every blu-ray I might possibly want to see. Got expensive, not to mention felt the money wasted in many many cases. Tried reviews to give me an idea if a given release would have what I was looking for -- mostly awesome audio. I generally know the type of film I'm going to like, and read very sparingly about plot, etc. to avoid ruining it for myself. I swear, just about every place you are going to look, you find these glowing appraisals of soundtracks I wasn't hearing when I bought these blu-rays.
The one exception here seems to be you Ralph Potts -- may I express my appreciation for your insights? We are attuned, and hearing the same things.
I had high hopes for this flick, and expected it to be good. Wasn't sure about the AV -- sometimes it can end up being pretty lackluster in spite of every reason to make it exceptional -- sci-fi action expensive remake, the whole nine yards -- still, others of that type have been botched.... This soundtrack ROCKS! One of the best of many years.
Unfortunately of course, I have the dropouts -- probably hundreds. At one point it was dropping every half-second and likely would have continued just that way until I cycled through the audio choices -- FRENCH, SPANISH etc., then back to TRU HD. It stabilized, but kept intermittently doing it throughout the watch. Read about "the fix" to PCM -- seemed like it cured the dropouts, but sound not at all the same. Some of the transparency and expansiveness gone, some of the crisp singing highs stolen away, low end not as round, full, rich, ROUND. So I prefer the TRU HD with dropouts -- but really want the NO dropouts, of course.
As to the movie -- when I read your reviews Ralph, I just go to the audio, then buy or not. After viewing, come back and see what you thought of the flick. Time and time again, we are in synch there as well. I had started reading some not too in-depth comments about this film from AVS posters -- worst ever, vapid soul-less, pointless exercise. I thought it was terrific entertainment. Everything I wanted. Money all over the screen. Wicked beautiful execution from start to finish, and that killer killer track. It's what you want, it's what you expect, given the talent and all the other factors that serve to inform judgment.
Contrast to another recent purchase: FAST FIVE -- available cheap on Black Friday. Did not find the Ralph review, so relied on someone else -- booming fresh track, plenty of rocking LFE, experience every crash as if there, blah blah blah. Waste of money, did not deliver.
So all of that AV acumen AND a not quite EX police officer as well? -- you are a man of many talents, Ralph, I thank you for the reliance I can place on you. In my case at least, you are steering me toward purchases that I don't regret. Studios should give you a commission.
Don't even regret TOTAL RECALL 2012, though contemplated a return of course, since I think it quite obvious that something is going on with this release, but the freshness of that track made it very very hard to part with, so I guess my hand is pat for now. Would like a handy way to contact the studio to lodge my complaint about the encoding though....

Originally Posted by wallijonn 

I disagree. The different ending alone makes it superior to the '90 version. (I found Schartznegger's "Maybe it's all a dream" ending to be very lame.)
I saw no need for the 3 breasted woman scene - put in solely as homage to the Mars colony scenario. Since this time they were not on Mars there was no need for the 3 breasted woman, imo.
The airport face changing scene was superior - no mechanical against-the-wall hide-away.
And for those of us who love Kate Beckingsale it was a delight to be teased with Kate playing the dutiful powerless wife in the first half of the film (which made us feel frustrated that her abilities and expertise weren't being utilized) then turned into the relentless hunter lioness in the second half of the film.
Yes, there were some incongruities, specifically his previous identity. But there were some nice revelations, like the palm bullet holes which cemented the reality of the film.
But wistfully looking back at Schartznegger's campy style as nostalgia is like bemoaning the same antics in the early James Bond movies. Yes, it made for a "cutier" film, making us feel good all over but many of us like more realism. Would we have liked the "cutesy" feel of the Indiana Jones or Star Wars films? Sure. But I doubt that Colin Farrell would have liked to reprise his "Dare Devil" role in a new setting.