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Total Recall - Nit-Picked
© Copyright 1998, Jim Loy
Good movie. The movie does a fairly good job of confusing the audience.
There is quite a bit of ambiguity about whether Schwartzenneger is dreaming or
not. And I really liked the way that Arnold removed his brain implant through
his nose. And there's a great villain, who just loves to kill people. But, the
movie is way too bloody for me. Anyway, here are a few nits that I would like
to pick:
- In the movie, they call the atmosphere of mars a vacuum. It is thin and
unbreathable. But it is not a vacuum.
- When the people are caught without space suits, their eyes bug out (nearly
out of their heads), and they die in great agony. Animals (mice and birds) have
been subjected to fairly strong vacuums. And they suffocated without great
physical damage.
- In the end, a martian machine ("reactor") liberates oxygen from
the ice under mars' surface (I think they said it melted the ice), giving mars
a breathable atmosphere (and blue sky), in seconds. It would probably take a
while for the air to become breathable. In particular, the dust that would be
churned up by this whole process may keep the air unbreathable for years.
Note: I use expressions like "picking nits" in honor of Phil
Farrand's excellent series of books called The Nit-Picker's Guide For
Classic Trekkers, etc.
I also recommend the book, Roman Soldiers Don't Wear Watches by Bill
Givens. Send your favorite film flubs to Film Flubs, 7510 Sunset Boulevard,
#551, Hollywood, CA 90046-3418.
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