9 Aug – In spite of its ensemble cast, Len Wiseman's interpretation of Philip K. Dick's 1966 short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" fell short of expectations, critically and commercially. The science fiction action film only managed to make US$31.8 million to date, debuting in second place while Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" maintains its position at the top of the box office for the third consecutive week (3 – 5 Aug). "Total Recall" is the second feature to be based on Dick's material since the 1990 film of the same name, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Colin Farrell now leads the remake set at the end of 21st century where two dominant nation states, United Federation of Britain and The Colony, are battling for political power. Farrell plays Douglas Quaid, a factory worker who is tired of his monotonous life in The Colony and spurred by his recurring violent nightmares, he decides to try out Rekall, a company that implants artificial memories. However, things go awry when Quaid is accused of being a spy, and he becomes hunted down by his 'wife', Lori. Rounding up the top three is newcomer "Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days", the third instalment of the "Diary Of A Wimpy Kid" film series, which in turn, is based on a realistic fiction novel written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney.
On the other hand, in Malaysia, moviegoers have sated their appetites for "The Dark Knight Rises", and are now eager to try out Rekall, which led "Total Recall" to open in first place. The fourth instalment of the "Step Up" dance films, "Step Up Revolution", took second place while "The Dark Knight Rises" fell down to third. Not very much different from its predecessors, "Step Up Revolution" sees an aspiring young dancer named Emily arriving in Miami, where she falls in love with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighbourhood is threatened by Emily's father's development plans.
"Total Recall" also managed to take first place in Singapore, while "The Dark Knight Rises" dipped to second. It is almost miraculous that "Ice Age 4: Continental Drift" remained in the top three, which marked its fourth week there.
For Malaysia, new movies that opened last week were "Mirattal", "Jism", "The Three Stooges".
For Singapore, new movies that opened last week were "Moonrise Kingdom", "The Taste Of Money", "SPEC: Heaven", "Gangs of Wasseypur", "Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World", "Jatt And Juliet" and "Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum".
