“For the memory of a lifetime … Rekall! Rekall! Rekall!”
StudioCanal’s remastered transfer for this Ultimate Rekall release is definitely better than what we’ve had on DVD and on the earlier BD. There. I’ve said it. Now, get your ass to Mars with your own copy of it.
Restored from the original negative under the approval of Paul Verhoeven, this marks the film’s second major arrival on the format in the UK. Now, to be honest, I don’t actually own the previous incarnation that StudioCanal put out, because I wasn’t much impressed with it. For reference, I have looked back at the Region 1 Mars tin limited edition which this, ahem, blows clean out of the water. Although that’s not coming as a surprise to anyone, is it? I did see the movie a couple of times upon its initial theatrical release but I am not going to sit here and claim to remember how the image looked splashed across the big screen of the original Odeon in Liverpool back in 1990.
But, to me, this looks very nice and essentially very film-like.
The 1.85:1 image hails from a healthy AVC encode that doesn’t betray elements of egregious digital tinkering. The picture is clear and clean, not too soft-looking, but far from razor-sharp. Grain is well resolved, with no clumping or frozen instances. As you would expect, it can spike a little during the process shots. I noticed a couple of very small frame jumps that I couldn’t locate on the DVD – but then again, I’m watching a PR copy of the film, so it is conceivable that this may be down to the disc, itself. Trust me, though, if you weren’t looking for such things, then you’d never see them. There is no edge enhancement on show, which is immediately beneficial. Only the most minimal of artefacts pop up, and these do not distract. The massively saturated reds of the Martian landscape and sky don’t bleed or smear, but there is, however, at least one instance of banding that fuzzes and wobbles about for a second. The main occasion when this appears is just before the Martian shuttle passes over us. I’m sure some defenders might like to insist that this is just part of the downward blast of heat causing a mirage. But they’d be wrong. It’s banding.
Close-up detail is excellent, folks. There is often finite separation in hair and eyelashes, good facial texture – pores, wrinkles, a bit of food or spittle in the corner of the mouth, etc - and some sharp clarity on eyes. You can see dirt behind fingernails and even little nibble-marks on them. There are wayward ear and nose hairs on display too, for those who love that sort of thing. I’ve got to say, I was really amazed at the level of clarity this transfer now provides on the smaller things. I’ve always loved Arnie’s work-shirt in this – and he wears it throughout most of the movie – but this is first time that I’ve seen the fine weave-lines in the material. Likewise the actual texture on Melina’s khaki leggings, or the pattern on the flash of Lori’s stockings as she retrieves her hidden blade. We can clearly the see the designs on Lori’s earrings too. And some cellulite in a hooker’s bum. Shards of glass are crisp and clearly rendered, especially the Johnny Cab window that sprays the road – it looked like splashing water to me in previous incarnations. Computer readouts are sharper and cleaner, as is the footage frequently seen on the TV monitors. The blinking lights that surround Doug as he enters the Rekall chair. The lashings of loving detail in the mutant flesh and the chunks of meat blown out of bodies. All of these things are distinct and appreciable. Some background information is also more apparent now. For instance, I’d never spotted the knucklehead by the door to The Last Resort who is dancing away to no music as Richter and his men storm the place. Resolution on these more distant images is always keen, making it fun to peruse the extravagant sets and crazy characters.
You still can’t see the spit that Melina yicks into Cohaagen’s face, though!
Contrast, to my eyes, is higher than I’ve been accustomed to. Some shots can look a little hazy, such as the moment when Doug awakes from his Martian dream at the start, but overall the image seems to possess a fair balance. You can see the level adjust itself as Quaid turns on the lights during his fight with Lori in their apartment – the light comes on and the contrast becomes too high, falters slightly, and then balances out. And there are other minute fluctuations too. Now that’s nitpicking, folks. However, the blacks aren’t spectacular, I’m afraid. They lack depth and vigour and shadow-play is unavoidably compromised. The mystery down in the caves and tunnels of the Martian pyramid is muted and infiltrated by grey. The surrounding shadows in Doug’s nose-picking sanctuary in the old factory appear more hazy and flattened. Then again, when I look back to the old DVD, they are just as inadequate.
The most obvious recipient of this restoration is the colour-timing. Skin-tones are now more natural than I’ve seen them appear before. The primaries are nicely saturated and help bestow the film a comic-book appeal. The various livid shades of the mutant flesh – lots of purples and lilacs – are more apparent and weirdly entrancing. The pink of Lori’s lipstick and little sports bra is now possibly even more captivating. The neon of Venusville, and the gaudy attire of the locals, is also brighter and more energised. Blood is never missing from the screen for long … and it is luxuriously thick and dark and nasty ... especially that big raspberry jam splash that the rat makes on the monitor after Richter finally hits what he’s aiming at! The heavy, dominating reds of Mars are presumably now precisely how Paul Verhoeven always wanted them to be. And they are thick and heavy, yet they look intentional and smooth, with no degree of smudginess at all. The midnight blue seen in Cohaagen’s room is also smoother and more appealing. The new (or original) colour scheme is great I’m happy to report.
All in all, I’m very happy with the way that Total Recall looks on this BD. It is unlikely to blow your socks off until you actually have a proper gander at those close-up details, but this is definitely better than I’ve seen it appear on home video before, and we have its maker’s stamp of approval on it. You can’t say fairer than that really.

Hier ein paar Vergleiche zwischen der alten und neuen Scheibe:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison.php?id=131364

Hier ein paar Vergleiche zwischen der alten und neuen Scheibe:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison.php?id=131364
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison.php?id=132155

Scheint sich ja doch zu lohnen...