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Paycheck

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Paycheck (2003)

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Reviews Counted:138

Fresh:37

Rotten:101

Average Rating:4.7/10

Consensus: Though Dick's short story has an intriguing premise, Woo reduces it to a lot of meaningless chases, shoot-outs, and explosions.

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: Adapted from a mind-bending sci-fi thriller by Philip K. Dick, the slick and riveting PAYCHECK is directed by John Woo (THE KILLER, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II)--the king of artful gunfighting... Adapted from a mind-bending sci-fi thriller by Philip K. Dick, the slick and riveting PAYCHECK is directed by John Woo (THE KILLER, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II)--the king of artful gunfighting flicks--who shows off his agility here with flat-out, white-knuckle cinematic entertainment. Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a high-paid engineer who works on hush-hush computer inventions and technology for shady companies. Later, his memory is wiped clean, so he has no recollection of his work. His so-called friend Rethrick (Aaron Eckhardt, the master of smarmy mean-spiritedness, as in IN THE COMPANY OF MEN) offers him enough money to retire by working on a project at Rethrick's company, Allcom. When Jennings emerges three years later, sans memory, he tries to collect his paycheck. At the bank, he's handed a manila envelope filled with cryptic items he doesn't recognize, and told he voluntarily forfeited his entire paycheck. He also has a stunning girlfriend named Dr. Rachel Porter (Uma Thurman) who is likewise ensnared in the conspiracy. Jennings must somehow piece together the clues he left for himself, and find out why everyone is out to kill him. As usual, Dick's story is the basis for a killer script that travels from point A to Z with gripping immediacy. The clues left for Jennings are amusing writerly devices, intricately pieced together. Woo clearly enjoyed choreographing the wild gunfighting and chase sequences (slo-mo bullets aplenty), sending Affleck and Thurman on the run with a BMW motorcycle. [More]

Starring: Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti

Starring: Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti, Colm Feore, John Morton, Michael C. Hall

Director: John Woo

Director: John Woo
Screenwriter: Dean Georgaris
Producer: John Davis, Michael Hackett, John Woo, Terence Chang
Composer: John Powell
Studio: Paramount Pictures

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Reviews for Paycheck

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
04/09/04
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

'If nature abhors a vacuum, how come Affleck hasn't been struck by lightning yet?'

Full Review Source: Teletext | comment Comment
01/20/04
Paul Arendt
Paul Arendt
Teletext
N/R

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Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
01/17/04
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

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Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
01/17/04
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

A brisk, enjoyable, implausible sci-fi thriller.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/13/04
Nev Pierce
Nev Pierce
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It lacks pace and inventiveness, never drawing anything meaningful or exciting from the premise.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
01/08/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Paycheck takes two hours to watch and two minutes to forget.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
05/18/09
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

Playful but inconsequential...the interpretation of Dick's intriguing concept is a street which mostly just dead-ends into noisy silliness. [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
05/17/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

"Paycheck" is a no-brainer action movie with just enough sci-fi thematic input to keep it spicy.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
05/11/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

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Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

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Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film discards serious discussion for Mexican standoffs and action scenes, trading the possibility of complex rewards for simple pleasures.

Full Review Source: Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema | comment Comment
04/14/05
Mark Pfeiffer
Mark Pfeiffer
Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

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Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
03/14/05
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

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Full Review Source: NYC Film Critic | comment Comment
03/05/05
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
NYC Film Critic

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Full Review Source: tonymedley.com | comment Comment
10/07/04
Tony Medley
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com
 
 
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Latest News for Paycheck

August 31, 2006: A Taste of What's "Next" for Nicolas Cage
Any time I hear the phrase "movie based on a Philip K. Dick story," I know I have to do a little more research. The next PKD adaptation is Lee Tamahori's... More...

August 08, 2006: Paul Giamatti to Star as Philip K. Dick
He night not be as famous as H.G. Wells or Isaac Asimov, but ask a sci-fi enthusiast what they think of Philip K. Dick, and get ready for a lengthy conversation. The late and... More...

November 08, 2005: Nic Cage & Julianne Moore Will Do Sci-Fi Action Flick "Next"
Variety reports that Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore will star in Revolution's "Next," which is a sci-fi action project based on a story by genre giant Philip K. Dick. More...

July 08, 2005: Trailer Bulletin: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Head on over to the film's official site for your first look at the trailer to "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." The supernatural horror flick is directed by Scott... More...

See All

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