Editing Total Recall (1990 film) (section)

==Legacy==
===Modern reception===
[[File:Jerry Goldsmith 2.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A 2003 photo of Jerry Goldsmith |The score for ''Total Recall'' is considered among the best work of composer [[Jerry Goldsmith]] (pictured in 2003).]]
Since its release, several publications have named ''Total Recall'' as one of the greatest science fiction films ever made.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="BestSciFiIGN"/><ref name="BestSciFiPaste"/><ref name="BestSciFiRT"/><ref name="BestSciFiTimeOut"/><ref name="BestSciFiParade"/>}} [[Rotten Tomatoes]] named it one of the 300 essential films to watch,<ref name="RT300"/> and it is also listed in the book ''[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]''.{{sfn|Schneider|2013}} On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a {{RT data|score}} approval rating from the aggregated reviews of {{RT data|count}} critics, with an average score of {{RT data|average}}. The consensus reads, "Under Paul Verhoeven's frenetic direction, ''Total Recall'' is a fast-paced rush of violence, gore, and humor that never slacks."<ref name="RottenTomatoes"/> The film has a score of 57 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]] based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref name="Metacritic"/>

In a 2012 retrospective, ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' wrote that despite its anachronistic aspects, such as outdated technology, ''Total Recall'' remained relevant, particularly in its themes of the oppressed fighting back against their oppressors, which was compared to the 2011 [[Occupy Wall Street]] movement.<ref name="RetroVulture"/> Discussing the film in 2016, ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' described it as one of the best 1980s-style action films.<ref name="AVClubRetro"/> Other publications have called it one of Schwarzenegger's most entertaining films and one of his best roles.<ref name="TheGuardianREtro"/><ref name="RetroVulture"/><ref name="RetroIndieWire"/> The film's score, by Jerry Goldsmith, is considered among his finest work and, in his own words, one of his "greatest scores".<ref name="DOGGoldsmith"/><ref name="DOGGoldsmith2"/>

A 2020 ''[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]]'' retrospective argued that ''Total Recall'', not ''Blade Runner'', was the best adaptation of Dick's work, despite its deviations from the source material. He argued that ''Blade Runner'' presented a stylish and cool future, whereas ''Total Recall'' presents an "ugly, banal, and grimy" future. Similarly, he believed Quaid's upbeat, amoral antihero protagonist was closer to Dick's traditional protagonists.<ref name="Inverse"/> Even so, ''[[Comic Book Resources]]'' wrote that "its weirdness and appreciation of dumb-fun" meant that it would probably never be as highly considered as ''Blade Runner'' or films such as ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968).<ref name="CBRTotal"/> To mark Schwarzenegger's 75th birthday in 2022, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' listed ''Total Recall'' as the fourth-best film in his 46-year career.<ref name="Variety75"/>

===Cultural influence===
''Total Recall'' became one of the most expensive films ever made in its time, and one of the last big-budget films to use almost entirely practical special effects.<ref name="BFIORal"/><ref name="ReviewVariety"/><ref name="LATimesRetro"/> It is also seen as among the films responsible for a significant rise in the costs of film production because of the high salaries studios like Carolco paid to stars with international appeal such as Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and [[Mel Gibson]], recouping their investment by selling their films to the rapidly growing film markets outside of the U.S. and Canada.<ref name="10TR12T2"/><ref name="NYTImesJune251990"/> Alongside the boost to Schwarzenegger's career, ''Total Recall'' also redefined Stone from a model to a legitimate film star.<ref name="ringer june2020"/><ref name="LATimesPremiere"/><ref name="ETSTone"/>

A 2020 ''SyFy'' article credited ''Total Recall'' as one of three action films, along with ''Terminator 2'' and ''True Lies'' (1994), that revived Schwarzenegger's career after a series of less successful action films such as ''[[The Running Man (1987 film)|The Running Man]]'' (1987), and ''Red Heat''.<ref name="LATimesJune51990"/><ref name="SYFYCareer"/> Schwarzenegger recounted coming across the film on television that year, and believing it still held up, saying: "that is really great filmmaking{{nbsp}}... when you can, after 30 years, watch a movie and it still feels the same."<ref name="ringer june2020"/> Schwarzenegger also named his 2012 [[memoir]] ''Total Recall''.<ref name="Memoir"/>

In 2020, ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote that, with hindsight, ''Total Recall'' formed the middle of Verhoeven's unofficial science fiction action film trilogy about authoritarian governance, following ''RoboCop'' and preceding ''[[Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers]]'' (1997).<ref name="TheGuardianREtro"/> Quaid's line, "consider that a divorce", after killing Lori, is considered one of Schwarzenegger's most iconic [[One-line joke|one-line quips]] from his filmography,<ref name="CBRTotal"/><ref name="AVClubRetro"/><ref name="TheGuardianREtro"/> and the three-breasted prostitute, portrayed by Lycia Naff, is regarded as an iconic character in cinematic history.<ref name="SyFyCast2"/><ref name="VultureCast"/> Although she eventually came to terms with the role, Naff was initially embarrassed by her appearance in ''Total Recall'' and avoided interviews or fan interactions, saying "I decided not to answer every letter from every prisoner in the world who was writing to me{{nbsp}}..."<ref name="EmpireDutch"/>

''Total Recall'' influenced films such as ''The Matrix'', ''[[The 6th Day]]'' (2000), also starring Schwarzenegger, as well as other media such as ''[[Rick and Morty]]'', ''[[South Park]]'', and ''[[The Expanse (TV series)|The Expanse]]''.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="CBRTotal"/><ref name="LATimesRetro"/><ref name="RetroVulture"/><ref name="AVClubRetro"/><ref name="CultRickandM"/><ref name="CultSouthPark"/><ref name="CultExpanse"/>}} It has been referenced in politics when, during his 2020 address to the [[Austrian World Summit]] climate conference about the urgency of their 2050 climate neutrality goal, Dutch politician and [[European Commissioner for Climate Action]], [[Frans Timmermans]], said, "it's been 30 years since ''Total Recall'' and ''Kindergarten Cop'' — I mean these things go so fast{{nbsp}}... we have to act now and we can."<ref name="Politico"/>