I wasn’t fussed on the early trailers for Len Wiseman‘s Total Recall reboot. It looked like a bunch of set pieces strung together, with little else to offer. But this new trailer opens up the plot (somewhat), casting doubt as to what’s real and what’s not – making the prospect a little more interesting as a result.

An everyman (Colin Farrell) takes a virtual vacation from life, only to discover everything he knows may be a lie and that he’s actually a spy. This update is set on Earth, not Mars, but has similar qualities to its predecessor: a man named Quad, a beautiful but dangerous wife, a villain named Cohaagen, a company called ‘Rekall’, and a tri-breasted woman. No sign of the mutant Kuato though.

The film has a fine supporting cast, including: Bryan Cranston (Drive), Kate ‘my-husband’s-the-director, again’ Beckinsale (Underworld), Bill Nighy (Love Actually), and John Cho (Star Trek).

Reboots are a source of much debate. Most never live up to the original – even if nostalgia often clouds our judgement. Others are cynical cash-in rubbish. But if made with a healthy respect for the material, a reboot can serve the franchise well and provide fine entertainment – Abram’s Star Trek and Nolan’s Batman trilogy being some of the best examples. Can Wiseman provide us with the later?

Wiseman is no Abrams or Nolan that’s for sure, but the action looks good  – even if much of it’s borrowed from other films (I-Robot and The Fifth Element to name but two). And I like how the doubt in Quad’s mind is being handled. I hope the film keeps us guessing until the very last minute. Beckinsale’s character is more interesting here too – the look on her face when she’s choking Quad shows real menace. But there are still far too many worn, throwaway one–liners for my liking.

Let’s hope this turns out to be a fun and engaging action flick – meeting my muted expectations at least.

What do you think of this reboot? Should they have left well enough alone?

For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid, even though he’s got a beautiful wife who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man as he finds himself on the run from the police.

Directed by Len Wisemen, the film stars Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Nighy, and John Cho.

Total Recall is rebooted onto New Zealand screens on September 6, 2012.