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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Total Recall

    Featured In Issue 173, January 2013

    Picture4.5
    SoundNR
    WSR Score4
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    40972
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG-13 / Unrated
    (Rating Reason):
    Intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief nudity, and language
    (Retail Price):
    $35.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    118 / 130
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A, B & C
    (Theatrical Year):
    2012
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    12/18/12
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Len Wiseman
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    In the remake of Total Recall, Douglas Quaid (Farrell) is a factory worker who visits Rekall, a revolutionary company that can turn his super-spy fantasies into real memories. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, the line between fantasy and reality blur as Quaid becomes a man on the run, and the fate of his world hangs in the balance. Inspired by the short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick. (Gary Reber)

    Both the theatrical PG-13 (01:58:18) and the Extended Director's Unrated Cut (02:10:16) are available. Special features include commentary by Director Len Wiseman; a Total Recall Insight Mode Bonus View; a gag reel (HD 08:00); the featurettes: Science Fiction vs. Science Fact (HD 09:28), Designing The Fall (HD 02:55), and Stepping Into Recall in seven segments (HD 25:30); seven Total Action featurettes (HD 20:00); the playable game demo God Of War: Ascension; upfront promotions; upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

    The 1080p AVC picture is superb and exhibits a striking transfer, though, rough and gritty in appearance. Shot with the Red Epic digital camera system in the Panavision® anamorphic format, the widescreen cinematography is effectively cinematic. The complex imagery integrates real and artificial seemingly in every scene. The color palette exhibits a greenish/grayish tint that permeates throughout, which distorts fleshtones within scene variations. The grayish tone casts a dreary overcast to the proceedings. Contrast is generally well balanced with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is excellent throughout, no matter what the dimensional perspective, and especially with respect to close-ups of facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. Overall, this is a fine presentation that appears visually dynamic and suspensefully dark, yet pristine. While digitally shot, the stylization creates an effective cinematic experience. (Gary Reber)

    The Dolby® TrueHD 5.1-channel soundtrack is dynamic, with pounding sub-25 Hz .1 LFE energy that pressurizes the listening environment, yet is never overpowering or distorted. The holosonic® immersive soundfield delivers dimensional and aggressive soundscapes with effective nuances, and perfectly energizes the movie's haunting future world of human-intelligent drones, robotics, and sophisticated environmental technology. Sound effects and atmospherics from gunfire and explosions, to subtle ambiance, are dimensionally presented using effective directionalization. The orchestral music score is spatially engaging and nicely recorded and balanced. Dialogue is always intelligible and generally well integrated spatially. All the elements work seamlessly together to portray a range of unique environments and situations. The sound is dynamic and exciting and will challenge the best full-range home theatre sound systems. (Gary Reber)

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    I read to try and find the best quality movies for sound and video. Too many movies these days have horrible sound and with today’s home theatres seem unacceptable. Also, equipment reviews are helpful.

    Ian Stubbs
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