‘Total Recall’ Reboot a Total Ripoff of the Original?

Sony Pictures

Do you get an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu when you watch the promotional materials for Len Wiseman’s ‘Total Recall?’
You’re not alone. In fact, a YouTube user named Mister Cinestri created
a video using footage from Paul Verhoeven’s original ‘Recall,’ cutting
it to match the trailer from the upcoming remake and allowing you to
watch both, side-by-side. The similarities between the two are
surprising.

As you know, Colin Farrell
headlines Wiseman’s adaptation of the Philip K. Dick short story “We
Can Remember It For You Wholesale” where he plays a blue-collar grunt
who may or may not be a spy in disguise. Kate Beckinsale and Jessica
Biel join in the thrills, though they might look familiar to you if you
watched the 1990 version with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And if you don’t believe how closely the two versions mirror each other, watch for yourself.

This video evidence seems to suggest that Wiseman is sticking closer
to Verhoeven’s film that he is to Dick’s story, which many have pointed
out is far too short to sustain a feature-length film. Which might be
fine, if he manages to update some of the effects and possibly bring a
new spin to the classic story…somehow.

We’ll see once the new — or kinda-sorta-new — ‘Total Recall’ opens in theaters on Aug. 3.