Ladies, if you’re looking for a movie this weekend and have to choose one, both you and your date will enjoy, then pick Total Recall. The man in your life will enjoy the action and special effects, while looking at Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biehl, and you get to drool watch Colin Farrell’s smokin’ hot body kick some ass.

Now, the serious moviegoers and fans of the first Total Recall, that was released over 20 years ago, want to know how this version compares to the original…First, let me say there’s no comparison between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Colin Farrell. I loved the original film and Arnold played the role well. Next, this version is more of a reboot than a remake, the plot and the actors are different, so its like comparing apples and oranges.

Wiseman’s film is based on the sci-fi short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” by  Philip K. Dick, a story about exploring memory and identity. This revamped version stays a little closer to Dick’s story as there’ s no travel to Mars. Also, while the original film was a bit campy, this version mostly lacks humor and focuses more on the intensity of the weapons and fight scenes.

Directed by Len Wiseman, Total Recall, stars Colin Farrell as Douglas Quaid a factory worker, married to Lori, played by the beautiful Kate Bekinsale. The film is set many years into the future where there are only two inhabitable places left on Earth, the colony (a.k.a Australia) and the United Federation of Britain. One of the coolest features in the film is, The Fall, the transport system workers ride back and forth from the Colony to the UFB.

Quaid has recurring dreams where he and a woman (Biel) are being pursued by an army of guards but he fails to escape. Searching for the meaning of these dreams and looking for a break from the monotony of his job, Quaid visits Rekall, the company that promises to turn dreams into real memories.

But Quaid’s procedure is interrupted and he learns his memory has already been altered. Instead of a factory worker, Quaid is really a double agent named Carl Hauser, who continues to remember bits and pieces from his former life. Now Quaid has to elude capture by the AFB police force, and his wife (Beckinsale), while he sorts out the truth.  Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world, orders Beckinsale to capture Quaid unharmed. Meanwhile, Quaid and rebel fighter Jessica Biel, join forces to find underground resistance leader, Mathias (Bill Nighy), to stop the Chancellor.

Overall impression: Visuals and special effects are good but the plot lacks depth and fight scenes are so repetitive they become more irritating than entertaining. If you’re going to see this film and just compare it to the original, then I think you may find yourself disappointed. However, if you’ve never seen the original and are looking to be entertained for two hours I think you’ll appreciate the special effects and fight scenes. Favorite scenes involved Colin Farrell with his shirt off (which there could have been more of, if you ask me) and the hover vehicle chase scene. Oh, and for the men out there, I went with another Mom friend, but the  in the theater were very pleased with the fight scenes and action involving Biel and Beckinsale.

Total Recall is currently in theaters and is rated PG-13.