Though not quite 'the ride of your life' promised by its posters, this action yarn is still a lively sci-fi thriller about a man whose memory has been erased for a purpose other than that which he imagines. It's the distant future. Mars is colonised and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Doug Quaid is haunted by nightmares about life there. This is odd as he's a building worker who lives on Earth. But Quaid becomes convinced he must get to Mars and end the despotic reign of the men in charge there. From here on, the action hardly stops, with space-guns chattering, Arnie and heroine Rachel Ticotin diving everywhere and special effects running riot, notably in the creation of a colony of mutants who prove to be the hero's allies rather than his enemies. Michael Ironside and Ronny Cox are excellent tight-lipped villains, one snapping to the other: 'You should have killed Quaid on Mars! ' Well, yes, but they all say that. Actually, there's a special reason why they didn't, but that would be giving too much away of a plot that's above-average in complexity for this kind of film. Those seeking blood, guts and even a little brain-matter that isn't splashed all over the screen will find it all here, plus Sharon Stone in one of the liveliest roles of her career.

©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes