Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Total Recall 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

I dreamt I had to go to Mars.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 14, 2020

Released alongside the standard 4K edition, Lionsgate and Best Buy have collaborated on an exclusive 4K Steelbook variant of Paul Verhoeven's Total Recall, available both in-store and online. Much like other recent Lionsgate-distributed Steelbooks including Ghost in the Shell, this exclusive edition features bold design elements and a clear slipcover that, when removed, allows the text-free front cover artwork to shine through. It's a fantastic formula that looks great in-hand and easily beats the standard edition for overall visual impact... and, of course, the movie's great too.

For a synopsis and review of the film, please see Jeffrey Kaufman's coverage of the standard 4K edition. Please note that the A/V specs and on-disc extras are identical to that version -- the only differences here are cosmetic.

Total Recall 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For an overview of this disc's new 2160p, HDR-enhanced transfer, please see the standard 4K review.

Total Recall 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For an overview of this disc's new Dolby Atmos audio mix, please see the standard 4K review.

Total Recall 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Exclusive Steelbook Packaging - As usual, another near-flawless Steelbook packaging job that doubles as one of the best-looking designs in recent memory. The front and back cover spread (fully seen in screenshot #2) was beautifully illustrated by L.A.-based artist Kyle Lambert and depicts a striking collage of Total Recall characters set against an expansive Mars landscape. I love the appearance of its faint blue haze set against a starry sky, especially in contrast with the reddish-orange planet surface. You can fully appreciate Kyle's art by removing the Steelbook's protective clear slipcover, which features the "4K + Blu-ray + Digital" banner, Schwarzenegger's name, the movie title, and "A Paul Verhoeven Film" set in clean white text. (Those two stickers in screenshot #1 are affixed to the shrink-wrap, thankfully.) The interior looks great too, as the black-and-white artwork of Arnie on the front cover is featured on all three discs which are, in turn, monochromatic red, white, and blue. Behind the discs themselves is a wide shot of the Mars landscape continued from the front cover -- a bit plain, maybe, but who's going to remove all three discs more than once? Overall... damn, this thing looks cool.

For an overview of the on-disc bonus features, please see the standard 4K review.

Total Recall 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Total Recall is an early 90s sci-fi classic. Sure, it's not quite as great as Paul Verhoeven's earlier Robocop or Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic performance in Terminator 2 (released only a year later), but this twisting action-adventure still holds up as a pulpy, entertaining thrill ride. Lionsgate's 4K presentation features very solid A/V specs and Best Buy's exclusive Steelbook has beautiful design elements. A compact, three-disc set, plus a digital copy and terrific packaging all for under $20? Hell, I remember when the "Mars tin" DVD seemed like a good deal.