Blazingly stupid, punishingly dull.
Paycheck (2003)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for Paycheck
As a genius running for his life, Affleck's got the intensity of a frat brother racing to return a keg before he loses the deposit.
It's a sci-fi thriller that's so tired, routine and smothered in deja vu that it's rather shocking to think it was directed by John Woo.
You leave Paycheck feeling as if you've just watched a big-budget version of a made-for- television movie.
Belongs with the likes of Impostor: a near-future tale of paranoia and suspense of disappointingly generic proportions.
Has the feel, alas, of a movie that Woo did so he could get to do something else -- it's not a very personal work for him, and it lacks freshness.
'Paycheck' is a speedy thing, both in story and appearance, Woo having given the film a clean, tooled-steel appearance.
The whole project bears the marks of a bored director, and a script in constant flux.
This smooth but bland thriller may be the best we could possibly expect from John Woo directing a Philip K. Dick adaptation, especially when Ben Affleck is added to the mix.
Unlike Woo's Face/Off or Broken Arrow, there are no stunts, special effects or kinetic moments in Paycheck that really blow you away.
The second half of the film is one overlong action sequence linked to another.
Woo isn't as much interested in ideas as in the physical complications they provide. Nor does he work too hard to give the scenario credibility.
There's only limited suspense and absolutely nothing like a character you can believe in.
A mostly tangled affair that betrays an intriguing premise and botches most opportunites to deepen the proceedings.
This mishmash of Philip K. Dick, cheesy romance, Hitchcock references and Woo's own BMW commercials is sadly outdated on delivery.
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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