These pictures are taken from the recent remake of "Total Recall" directed in 1990 by Paul Verhoeven. The first "Total Recall" was about the adventure of Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who searches for his true identity while travels between Earth and Mars. In 2084 Mars has human colonies who are fighting for independence, and Quaid becomes the hero of the revolution. The remake (directed by Len Wiseman) keeps the storyline but changes the context, which is much more political, dystopian and urban. Beyond the criticism to its soft approach and predictability, the visual effects and landscapes of the remake are a fantastic representation of Phillip K. Dick's futurist visions.
Instead of Mars, the 2012 movie uses Australia as a colony subordinated to the power of Britain. Both regions are connected by a gravity elevator, which travels through the Earth. Furthermore, their landscapes are very different. The colony portrays an oriental soul, which flows around a deconstructivist architecture, very similar to the concept of Habitat 67 in Montreal. This suspended city constructed on water is a possible model of the chaotic third-world of tomorrow. In contrast, the United Federation of Britain is well developed in infrastructures, namely by aerial highways where great action scenes happen. These highways connect different urban layers that form a suspended city as well. Every scene is a delight for the eyes.
"I think one of the great things that Len [Wiseman] brought to it is, as
the world changes, there's still a baseline of our reality today. There
are still cobblestone streets in every city you go into, only now we
have freeways. Just like if you go to an old city, you see buildings
that have been there for hundreds and hundreds of years next to a modern
skyscraper. So the idea that you can see the 20th century world on one
level, and the 23rd century world or the 24th century world above it,
and you can see history as you travel down in a city that's built upon a
city upon a city, is a cool concept."
(citation taken from here)
(video about "Total Recall" visual effects)
