History Film / TotalRecall1990

---> '''Melina:''' ''That'' was your wife?! What a bitch.

* BrokenRecord

--> "You think this is the real Quaid? [[spoiler:It is.]]"

* ExpositionBeam: Kuato does this to unlock Quaid's [[LaserGuidedAmnesia locked memories]]. In a sense, the story itself is set in motion because the [[FakeMemories Fake Memory]] implanting machines in the Rekall center jostle Quaid's hidden memories (or worked perfectly).

** Cohaagen has a [[TantrumThrowing temper tantrum]] and smashes an aquarium. The fish die gasping for oxygen, [[spoiler:foreshadowing the attempted suffocation of Venusville]]. And [[spoiler: Cohaagen's eventual death by way of dying in an atmosphere that he can't breathe.]]

* FuturisticJetInjector: While Douglas Quaid is at Rekall to get a memory implant, he is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJXx9HE2Rm4#t=55s given a relaxant]] in a gun-type jet injector to make it easier for the implantation to occur. When Quaid later goes berserk, he is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIzFuycHn_0#t=50s repeatedly injected]] in the leg with the same injector to render him unconscious.

--> '''Benny:''' Hey, Quaid! You remember me?! BENNY! BENNY'S THE NAME!

--> '''Cohaagen:''' Fucking mutants could always sniff us out. So Hauser and I sat down and invented you: the perfect mole.

* ATeamFiring

-->'''Cohaagen:''' I didn't want it to end this way. I wanted Hauser back! But ''noooo...'' you had to be Quaid!
-->'''Quaid:''' I ''am'' Quaid!
-->'''Cohaagen:''' You're ''nothing!'' You're '''''nobody!''''' You're a stupid dream! Well, all dreams come to an end!

* VillainousBreakdown

* RareGuns: Most of the movie's arsenal consists of firearms that never made it into the mainstream, making ''Total Recall'' one of the most extreme examples of this trope. This is likely due to a tendency in sci-fi films/TV to use RareGuns [[ImproperlyPlacedFirearms to impersonate 'future' firearms]].
** At least two versions of the [[http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Claridge_Hi-Tec/Goncz_GA Claridge Hi-Tec/Goncz pistol]] serve as the go-to handgun for most characters.
** Calico LWS appears to be much more successful in this world than in RealLife, seeing how their [[http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Calico_M900#Calico_M900 M900]] and [[http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Calico_M950#Calico_M950.2F950A M950]] models are used by the majority of Cohaagen's security forces. Those who aren't using Calico products usually wield the equally unsuccessful [[http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Muzzelite_MZ14_Bullpup#Ruger_Mini-14_in_Muzzelite.E2.84.A2_MZ14_Bullpup_Stock MZ14 Bullpup]] conversion of the Ruger [=AC556=] instead.
** [[http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/SWD/Cobray_Street_Sweeper#SWD.2FCobray_Street_Sweeper Cobray Street Sweepers]] made to look like some variant of the famous [[http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Pancor_Jackhammer Pancor Jackhammer]] shotgun make repeated appearances.

[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/total_recall_cover.png]]

* MsFanservice: 1990 Sharon Stone in her form fitting sports gear and THAT nightie!

* MsFanservice: 1990 Sharon Stone in THAT nightie.

* AdaptationalHeroism: The novelization by Piers Anthony reveals [[spoiler: Hauser ''did'' turn into a good guy and was pulling a massive KansasCityShuffle on Cohaagen in order to get Quaid to activate the alien device.]]
* AdaptedOut: "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" ends with Doug volunteering to have a new memory implanted about how he saved a race of tiny mouse-like aliens, and in turn they promised not to destroy earth as long as he lived. [[spoiler:It turns out to be a real memory.]] This never happens in the film.

* AerithAndBob: [[spoiler: Kuato hides in the belly of his normal-looking twin brother George]].
* AffablyEvil:
** [[spoiler:Hauser, who in his last video diary continues to act friendly towards Quaid and apologizes that he needs his body back.]]
** [[spoiler: Benny, who continues to keeps up his PluckyComicRelief act when he tries to drill Quaid and Melina to death]].

* AllAccordingToPlan: Played with. When Cohaagen reveals that [[spoiler: he arranged everything so that [[UsedYouAllAlong Quaid would lead him to Kuato]]]]. Quaid dismisses this as "[[GambitRoulette too perfect]]". Cohaagen then reveals it ''didn't'' go perfectly, thanks to [[spoiler: Quaid's trip to Rekall setting things off early and Richter screwing up a year's worth of planning by trying to murder him]]. Cohaagen then admits amazement that it worked at all.

* AmnesiacDissonance: [[spoiler:Quaid is shocked and disgusted to find out that he was Hauser all along. He goes on to refuse becoming Hauser again, going as far as calling his former self an "asshole".]]

** The finale [[spoiler:involves Mars' frozen water core being unfrozen and turning Mars into a green, Earthy paradise [[NoOntologicalInertia within 30 seconds]].]]
** In the fight scene in the memory implantation suite on Mars, one of the technicians attacks Quaid with a slender metal rod, but between the more than meter of metal and his own strength, he's not able to even raise a bruise on Quaid when he parries the rod with his bare forearm, but it's still strong enough for Quaid to drive it through his attacker's skull. Being able to drive the thick metal lug that had held one of the restraining cuffs to the chair (before Quaid simply lifts the restraint straight up out of the arm) into another technician's neck and create a rather neat, circular wound is similarly silly. (OK, it's an Arnold fight scene so the laws of physics tend to go out the window, but things really should make more sense than that.)

* BadassBookworm: When Quaid [[BreakingTheBonds rips through the metal shackles of his Recall chair]], rather than running for their lives as you might expect, the nerdy lab technicians grab the nearest heavy weapons and attack Quaid. [[CurbStompBattle The results are preordained]], but hey, points for trying at least.
* BadBoss: Compared to his established friendship with his other right hand man, [[spoiler: Hauser]], Cohaagen not only lambasts and insults his mercenary Richter at every opportunity, but uses his wife Lori in [[spoiler: Hauser]]'s mole operation, and is thoroughly apathetic to her death caused by it. Richter makes sure to give at least [[IWarnedYou a small fuck you to Cohaagen]] when it's obvious the plan has gone to shit.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Richter shoots up a mouse that was carrying Quaid's tracking device when he realizes it was carrying the bug instead of Quaid, later Cohaagen [[spoiler: after learning about Quaid and Melina's escape]] furiously destroys his aquarium, letting the goldfishes die [[spoiler: [[RuleOfSymbolism which parallels the suffocating mutants in Venusville]] through a MatchCut]].

-->'''Scientist''': The chain reaction could spread to all the Turbinium in the planet, that means a meltdown, a meltdown on a planetary scale.
-->'''Richter''': Don't you think whoever built this thing thought of that?
-->'''Cohaagen''': Who knows what the hell they thought? They weren't human...

--->'''Quaid''': Are you all right? Are you still you?
--->'''Melina''': I'm not sure, dear.

--> "You think this is the real Quaid? [[spoiler: It is.]]"

** Hull breaches on the Mars station causes a storm capable of hurling people through the air, despite the pressure difference being just one atmosphere. (14 psi)

* DarkActionGirl: [[spoiler: Lori, Quaid's wife]] who routinely beats Quaid up.

** Additionally, the various mutants are this. Although they look scary, they're some of the friendlier characters [[spoiler: save for Benny]] that Quaid encounters on his adventure. Special mention goes to Kuato, who is an empathetic freedom fighter in spite of his malformed appearance.
* DeathByIrony:
** [[spoiler:Cohaagen, who controls all the air on Mars, ''dies in the thin atmosphere of the Red Planet''.]]
** Twice Benny is nearly killed by the giant drill machines dashing into the street. [[spoiler:When he is exposed as a traitor, Benny tries to kill Quaid with a drill machine. Quaid then kills him by stabbing him with a portable drill.]]
* DesignatedGirlfight: Lori and Melina engage in a brutal NoHoldsBarredBeatdown about two thirds into the movie while Quaid takes care of Lori's male backup. [[spoiler:Lori eventually gets the upper hand, forcing Quaid to [[BoomHeadshot intervene]] in order to save Melina's life.]][[note]]In the DVD commentary the director praises the scene for probably being the first time in a feature film where two women fight each other normally, as opposed to a CatFight.[[/note]]
* DisappearingBullets: At one point, Cohaagen's men encircle Quaid and open fire at him with [[MoreDakka full automatics]]. This is already [[ArtisticLicenseMilitary a pretty dumb idea]], tactically speaking, considering that it practically guarantees ''someone'''s going to get shot by his own side by accident, but it becomes even more ludicrous when the Quaid they're shooting turns out to have been a hologram. So...what was stopping the bullets, then?

* DreamDeception: A variant of this happens some time after Quaid goes to Mars. His wife (who's seemingly a double agent) shows up and says she loves him. Next, the "doctor" from Rekall says this is all just a hallucination caused by a malfunction in the memory machine. Quaid argues that this is false, but the Doctor comes up with some convincing counterarguments. [[spoiler: Quaid almost falls for it, but right as he is about to swallow the pill, he notices the "doctor" is sweating, and shoots him.]]

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes

* HologramProjectionImperfection

* IdentityAmnesia: [[spoiler:Hauser erased any memory of himself and others as part of his MemoryGambit to become Quaid.]] This creates problems when he meets his girlfriend Melina.

-->'''Cohaagen:''' First you try to kill Quaid, then you let him get away!
-->'''Richter:''' He had help from our side, sir.
-->'''Cohaagen:''' I ''know'' that.
-->'''Richter:''' But I thought...
-->'''Cohaagen:''' Who told you to ''think?'' I don't give you enough information to ''think!'' You do what you're told. ''That's'' what you do!

-->'''Richter:''' You're going to have to make a decision, sir.
-->'''Cohaagen:''' ''(reluctant)'' Kill him.
-->'''Richter:''' About goddamn time!

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Cohaagen turns off the air supply for Venusville and later kicks over a fishbowl, callously leaving both to die from suffocation. He later dies himself the same way, suffocating in the thin atmosphere of Mars.]]

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: When Cohaagen reveals [[spoiler: Hauser was working for him all along]], Quaid just scoffs and points to Richter of "this idiot has been trying to kill me. You don't [[spoiler: kill someone you're trying to plant." Cohaagen scoffs that Richter didn't know anything about it and his going "hog wild" nearly ruined the entire plan. Through it all, Richter's expression makes it clear: he's as amazed as Quaid to learn all this.]]

-->'''Technician:''' Sir, the oxygen level is bottoming out in Sector G. What do you want me to do about it?
-->'''Vilos Cohaagen:''' [as if obvious] Don't do anything.
-->'''Technician:''' But they won't last an hour, sir.
-->'''Vilos Cohaagen:''' Fuck 'em. It'll be a good lesson to the others.

* LotusEaterMachine: Rekall has one, and will plug you in for a modest fee. [[spoiler:Quaid may have been in it for most of the movie.]]

* MemoryGambit: [[spoiler:Hauser wiped his memories and rebuilt his personality as Quaid, in order to make it easier to infiltrate the resistance. Unfortunately for Hauser and Cohaagen, Quaid experiences severe AmnesiacDissonance upon finding out the truth, and decides that he would rather remain Quaid and do whatever he can to derail Cohaagen's plan.]]

** [[spoiler:Benny as well, who is responsible for killing George, Kuato's conjoined brother. He also lied about having a family.]]

* MookLieutenant: Everett--the chief guard on Mars, and Helm--Richter's lead goon who accompanies him for half of the film [[spoiler: before meeting a rather gruesome end during the bar shoot-out]].

-->'''Helm:''' I'd be upset too if a guy like Quaid was porking my old lady.
-->'''Ritcher:''' Are you saying she ''liked'' it?
-->'''Helm:''' [[SarcasmMode No, I'm sure she hated every minute of it!]]

--> '''Tony''': You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here, [[spoiler:Hauser]]!
--> '''[[spoiler:Hauser]]''': Look who's talking!
* NoOntologicalInertia

** The elevator Quaid and Richter fight on is an even better example of this: not only does it not have any kind of safety netting, walls or doors despite the fact that it's shown rising hundreds of feet into the air, but there's next to no space between the platform and at least one of the floors it passes next to, making it extremely easy to get something wedged between them, [[spoiler: which is exactly what Quaid does to sever Richter's arms, causing him to fall to his death.]]

* PluckyComicRelief: Benny provides much of the comedic lines. [[spoiler:He loses it when he reveals himself to be TheMole for Cohaagen, but still retains the hamminess.]]

-->'''Cohaagen (to Melina):''' You're going to be respectful, compliant, and appreciative, the way a woman should be.

* PrecisionFStrike: After asked by subordinates how to deal with the welfare of Venusville with their oxygen deprived, Cohaagen gives a nonchalant "Fuck 'em".

* ProductPlacement: Fuji Film, Jack in the Box, Pepsi, and more.
* ProstheticLimbReveal: Benny seems like a perfectly normal taxi driver, until he helps Quaid/Hauser get into the resistance base by taking off his prosthetic hand, opening his sleeve, and showing his mutated lower arm, revealing himself to be a mutant. [[spoiler:This reveal would be pretty cool in the long run... but then Benny also turns out to be a mole.]]

* PsychoForHire: Richter, [[spoiler:Lori, and Benny]] are all violent maniacs on Cohaagen's payroll.

* SchrodingersButterfly: [[spoiler:Is it a memory implant gone awry or all real? In the short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" that inspired this (can't say based on, can't even say very, very loosely based on), it ''did'' really happen.]]

* ShowSomeLeg: After failing to kill Quaid by herself, Lori tries to distract Quaid until her associates can deal with him by acting sexually suggestive towards him, implying that he should "tie her up". However, Quaid glances over to see them walking through the hallway on a CRTV, and [[TapOnTheHead knocks her out]].

** Richter's goons surround [[spoiler:Hauser's hologram]] on all sides, firing from less than 10 feet away without ever hitting [[spoiler: each other]] even though the bullets should be passing right through [[spoiler: the hologram]].

* ThisIsADrill: [[spoiler: Benny]] tries to kill Quaid and Melina with a giant drill, but is killed by Quaid with a smaller drill.

* ThrownOutTheAirlock: The "Martian atmosphere" variant of the trope [[spoiler:seals Cohaagen's fate when he is blown out onto the surface of Mars. The heroes almost die the same way.]]
* TitleDrop

* TraitorShot: The looks Quaid's wife and colleagues give him in the beginning every time he doesn't notice practically scream "these folks aren't nearly as friendly as they pretend to be".

* UncleTomfoolery: Benny the cab driver, [[spoiler:until he reveals himself as a mutant collaborator]]. And especially after [[spoiler:that turns out to be a lie and he was EvilAllAlong.]]

* VillainousFriendship: Cohaagen and [[spoiler:Hauser (Quaid's former identity)]]. Cohaagen acknowledges their friendship when Quaid calls the guy an asshole and makes sure he is given an obedient, mindwiped wife to "enjoy". Later, Cohaagen goes into a rage when he is forced to order the death of his friend, and goes on a tirade against Quaid for making sure Hauser isn't coming back.

* YourHeadAsplode

* PoorCommunicationSkills: [[spoiler:Because Richter and his goons haven't been let in on the plan, a lot of them get killed because Richter goes OffTheRails trying to kill a man he thinks is a traitor that his boss has an inexplicable soft spot for.]]

* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Richter shoots up a mouse that was carrying Quaid's tracking device, later Cohaagen [[spoiler: after learning about Quaid and Melina's escape]] furiously destroys his aquarium, letting the goldfishes die [[spoiler: [[RuleOfSymbolism which parallels the suffocating mutants in Venusville]] through a MatchCut]].

** Benny groping Mary's breasts is an indication thathe's not a very good family man.

* ExcessiveSteamSyndrome: All over the place. Perhaps as an homage to the SteamPunk genre.

* MookLieutenant: Everett, the chief guard on Mars, and Helm, Richter's lead goon who accompanies him for half of the film [[spoiler: before meeting a rather gruesome end during the bar shoot-out]].

* AllAccordingToPlan: Played with. When Cohaagen reveals that [[spoiler: he arranged everything so that [[UsedYouAllAlong Quaid would lead him to Kuato]]]]. Quaid dismisses this as "[[GambitRoulette too perfect]]". Cohaagen then reveals it ''didn't'' go perfectly, thanks to [[spoiler: Quaid's trip to Rekall setting things off early and Richter screwing up a year's worth of planning]]. Cohaagen then admits amazement that it worked at all.

* {{Irony}}: Quaid is given the idea to visit Rekall by seeing a commercial about their services, saying it's a safe, economical alternative to interplanetary travel. After he's deposited in a Johnny Cab after the procedure gone awry, he takes a tram back home, and there he sees a commercial touting how experimental memory tampering is and asking the viewer to choose space flight as the reliable alternative.

* SpitefulSpit: Melina spits in Cohaagen's face after he gloats that they'll brainwash her into Hauser's compliant housewife.

->"''[[CallToAdventure Get your ass to Mars.]]''"

-->'''Quaid''': Are you all right? Are you still you?
-->'''Melina''': I'm not sure, dear.

* BerserkButton: If you don't pay your Johnny Cab's fare, it ''will'' run you down. Though this one also appeared to be malfunctioning at the moment, so that may not be a programmed response.

-->'''Cohaagen:''' Now, here's a message from someone you trust... ''(switches on computer screen)''\\

[[spoiler:'''Hauser:''' Hey, buddy!]]

* WouldHitAGirl: Quaid. First he punches out Lori during their fight in their apartment. [[spoiler:Later, he has no qualms about shooting her after she triumphs in a DesignatedGirlFight and sneakily starts to reach for her gun.]]

* YourHeadAsplode: Subverted, where the exploding head is a bomb-rigged animatronic prosthesis which Quaid wears as part of a costume. His deception uncovered, [[HeyCatch he tosses the head to his pursuers]], in whose hands it cracks wise and then asplodes.

* DomedCity: The Mars colony. The TV spot for Rekall also implies the existence of [[UnderwaterCity underwater settlements]] on Earth.

* EveryCarIsAPinto: Quaid uses a taxi ("JohnnyCab") to flee from the bad guys. He has to sabotage the robotic driver, though, and drive the car himself. Once he arrives at his destination, he leaves the taxi, but the robotic driver shorts out and the car starts moving forward. It narrowly misses Arnie, then hits a wall at a very moderate speed and blows up.

* EveryCarIsAPinto: The Johnny Cab that Quaid hijacks, which drives itself into a wall.

** Later in the film she stomps on them after capturing him. This one is rather awesome. Quaid was in the middle of a fight with some mooks until Lori enters and kicks his face, seemingly knocks him out in the process. But she doesn't buy it for a moment, so she stomps on his crotch just to make sure that he's indeed still conscious, before kicking his face again and knocking him out for real this time.