Here’s the First ‘Total Recall’ TV Spot

Though it's not due out until August 3, 'Total Recall' has already got a TV spot. Which suggests that the new model of media saturation that was so effective for 'The Avengers' is taking hold, and we're going to be inundated with tons of 'Total Recall' for the next two months.

The film is directed by Len Wiseman, and stars Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, and Bryan Cranston. What this TV spot seems to be doing is showing how this is very different than the 1990 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. That was action packed for its time, but this seems to be taking that movie to eleven. Whether that's a good thing or not...

But, to be fair, this TV spot suggests it's a completely different movie, and that it should be judged on its own terms - though it takes some of the concepts (the face disguise, the memory implant machine) from the 1990 film. No one involved has said much about the Phillip K. Dick story on which the first film was based ("We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"), but that's not much of a selling point these days. With a late summer action movie, all we really want are some compelling fights and explosions. Hopefully that's not too much to ask for.