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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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41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: www.susangranger.com | comment Comment
01/05/04
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com

Tout le monde ici s’est donc contenté de venir chercher son chèque de paie...

Full Review Source: EnPrimeur.ca | comment Comment
01/05/04
Nicolas Lacroix
Nicolas Lacroix
EnPrimeur.ca

The one thing we cannot forgive in a would-be thriller is boredom. Even Woo's trademarks, the fluttering birds and the two-gun stand-off, feel perfunctory.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
01/04/04
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Director John Woo, progenitor of film violence as stylized artistry, rests on his laurels here. He keeps the action sufficiently engaging, but never mind-blowing.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
01/04/04
Christine James
Christine James
Boxoffice Magazine

You've seen Roadrunner cartoons with more suspense than this entirely predictable hash.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/04/04
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

A pleasant enough diversion.

Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
01/03/04
Scott Nash
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs

It moves quickly, doesn't belabor the obvious, doesn't do anything stupid, and will be forgotten the moment you exit the theater.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
01/03/04
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Doves might be symbolic for many of the classic struggles in film and literature. But something they drop from their business end embodies what “Paycheck’s” all about.

Full Review Source: State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) | comment Comment
01/02/04
Nick Rogers
Nick Rogers
State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Nitrate Online | comment Comment
01/02/04
KJ Doughton
KJ Doughton
Nitrate Online

Affleck is no Schwarzenegger but director Woo works with what he's got. With Uma Thurman as the action sidekick/love interest, how bad can it be?

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
01/01/04
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

A good bit of the negativity surrounding the film wouldn't exist if it starred anyone but Ben Affleck (well, maybe not Mark Wahlberg either).

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
12/31/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

What's the problem? Ben Affleck is perfectly believable as a guy who spends two hours confused and with a dazed look on his face.

Full Review Source: Denton Record Chronicle (TX) | comment Comment
12/31/03
Boo Allen
Boo Allen
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

The first hurdle is the hardest: Accepting Ben Affleck in the role of possibly the most intelligent man on the planet.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
12/30/03
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Only dedicated fans will be willing to overlook Paycheck's relatively weak cast and lackluster fights and chases.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
12/30/03
Daniel Eagan
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International

Paycheck is nothing more than an adequate thriller; a standard chase movie.

Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | comment Comment
12/30/03
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Just add an underwritten love interest, a scruffy yet lovable sidekick, stir violently and overcook action sequences. Serves millions, but tastes bland.

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
12/29/03
Aaron Hillis
Aaron Hillis
Premiere Magazine

It's hard to imagine Dick ever writing anything as empty as this.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
12/29/03
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

Fails to satisfy as either a Dickian head trip or a Woo-zy thriller...

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
12/29/03
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

How appropriate that Woo’s awkward sci-fi nutty narrative is about memory loss seeing as though this convoluted clunker is utterly forgettable.

Full Review Source: Movie Eye | comment Comment
12/29/03
Frank Ochieng
Frank Ochieng
Movie Eye

While the tautly paced Paycheck succeeds at keeping your attention, it offers nothing at all to think about or even remember once its two hours have run their course.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
12/27/03
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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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...

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