After a catastrophic event leaves only two continents habitable on Earth, where one is called “The Colony”. This is where assembly-line worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) works. Residents are transported daily half way around the globe to and from their jobs in Columbia Pictures reinvention of “Total Recall”.

After strange dreams of unexplainable action sequences invade his sleep, Quaid begins to feel his life with wife of seven years Lori Quaid (played by Kate Beckinsale) is inadequate and that there is a greater calling for him. He decides to take a visit to Total Rekall where better memories can be implanted and undertakers of the Total ReKall transplants can allow them to experience their most sought-after desires. Most, of which are men’s fantasies of having a mistress,even if they already have one. That’s a no, no that cancels each other out. When Quaid gets strapped up to the Total Rekall machine, he learns his true identity in a very unexpected way.

Soon, many revelations are layed in front of him. And his life isn’t so dull after all. In fact, it’s being threatened by the very hidden agency he works for and in the process helping his co-hort, Melina (Jessica Biel) set out to save the world from tyranny.

Directed by Len Wiseman and screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback, “Total Recall” is inspired by a famous short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick, which sounds much better than this movie is. Of course, in it’s third generation, the second being the 1990 version of “Total Recall” starring Sharon Stone and Arnold Schwarzenegger some things have definitely been lost in translation. Going from a well-balanced lit environment in the 1990 “Total Recall” to one that is dark, dingy, cold, wet and very similar to “The Blade Runner’s atmosphere it was begging for a comparison. “The Blade Runner” wins hands down.

Two of the strongest leads are played by Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale. The other female co-star that took-on a starring role all on its own is Kate Beckinsale’s hair!

While watching the choreographed fighting scenes, it only made me wish I was watching “The Expendables” again. If a movie is going to rely so heavily on fighting scenes, then no movie does this better than “The Expendables”.

If you want to see “Total Recall” the original, then rent “Total Recall” the 1990 version. If you want to see “Total Recall” the 2012 version, then rent “The Fifth Element”, “Blade Runner”, “Inception” or “The Matrix” all four films are similar to “Total Recall” except with much better plots, story lines and dialogue.

“Total Recall” opens in theaters Friday, August 3, 2012.