PAYCHECK

[thompsoncory]

"Remember the future"

http://imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0338337/paycheckposter.jpg

Directed by: John Woo (Face/Off)

Plot Summary: An electrician named Michael Jennings awakens one day to discover that the last two years of his life and the work he did for a man named Rethrick during that time has been erased from his memory. He also learns that he agreed to the two years secret work and erasure in exchange for a huge sum of money. But when he goes to collect his paycheck, Jennings learns that before his memory was erased, he gave up the money in exchange for a small bag of worthless clues and trinkets. When the police come looking for him, Jennings must go on the lam and try to put together the last two years so he can prove his innocence. Using the strange trinkets he previously left for himself, he goes on a journey in search of Rethrick, where he used to work, and how he even knew that these worthless items would save his life.

Starring: Ben Affleck (Pearl Harbor), Aaron Eckhart (The Core), Uma Thurman (Kill Bill: Volume One), Paul Giamatti (American Splendor), Colm Feore (Chicago), Kathryn Morris (Minority Report), Ivana Milicevic (Love Actually), Michael C. Hall (TV's "Six Feet Under"), Krista Allen (Anger Management)

Written by: Dean Georgaris (Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life)

Rated: PG-13(for intense action violence and brief language)

Release Date: December 25th, 2003

Running Time: 1 hour 57 minutes

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This looks decent, but not great. I like Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman a lot though, so I might check it out with low expectations.

[Scarface98.9]

A couple of months ago, I was looking forward to it, but based on clips I've seen, various reviews, and PG-13 John Woo, I'll pass on this movie

[Strider]

I'll see the film, but let me be completely honest, "Paycheck" does not look like a very good or exciting film. I suppose I'll be checking it out for the sakes of John Woo, Uma Thurman, and the fact that the film is based on a novel by Phillip K. Dick.

Not expecting much though.....

[Fisting Ackbar]

Another PG-13 rated John Woo movie :rolleyes:

[jolanar]

This movie actually looks really good to me. The premise and the movie trailer excited my greatly. I may not end up seeing in the theatres due to busy holidays and all, but I'll definately check it out sooner or later.

[Moviefan1234]

It looks good to me. I love Woo, Affleck, Thurman, and Giamatti, so they get me excited. The reviews have me a little concerned, but I hope it does well. Affleck deserves a hit after the year he's had.

[blankpage]

I'm actually looking forward to this flick. While many of the Dick adaptations have failed to impress me (Minority Report being the only one I loved, or even liked), it still looks pretty solid. Should be some fun!

[Indy in IN]

I'm going for it. The Motorcycle chase looks pretty good. Seemed fairly realistic, which is always a concern to me when it comes to motorcycles in movies. I'm a Affleck fan and a Woo fan.

[bjeggert82]

Normally I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere NEAR a John Woo film, but I'm going to see this simply because I love the Philip K. Dick short story. I haven't liked a Woo film since Killer or Hard Boiled--and even those are unwatchable now because the cool tricks he used in those two films, he reused in EVERY film since then.

I'll never understand why those of you who love Woo, stay liking him. He hasn't made a good movie for over a decade.

I was an incy wincy bit optimistic for Paycheck because the buzz was saying he directed it like Hitchcock, not John Woo. Then I saw the trailer and realized that it looked like another Woo action film that will probably suck.

[jackson13]

I have 2 problems with this movie that are keeping me from seeing it until its released on video.

#1 - If they erased his memory, how does he know this? If you have no memory, how can you remember that your memory was erased?

#2 - The 19 clues. Again, if you have no memory, how do you know what these 19 clues you left yourself are? You cant, because you wouldnt be able to remember!


I'll wait 3 months for video thank you.

[HHH123007]

Originally posted by jackson13
#2 - The 19 clues. Again, if you have no memory, how do you know what these 19 clues you left yourself are? You cant, because you wouldnt be able to remember!


Or the all important question, why not leave a letter explaining everything as one of the clues?...:rolleyes:

I'll still see this even though that question I just posed will probably stop me from taking this seriously. Poor Affleck.

[Damned Martian]

Originally posted by jackson13
#1 - If they erased his memory, how does he know this? If you have no memory, how can you remember that your memory was erased?

#2 - The 19 clues. Again, if you have no memory, how do you know what these 19 clues you left yourself are? You cant, because you wouldnt be able to remember! 1) In the trailer it appears that he doesn't know about it. He goes to work and then Aaron Eckhart's character tells him that he already did that job 3 years ago... And his memory was erased

2) I think that's the plot of the film: he tries to unsolve what these clues mean, to find out what happened in those 3 years.

[EDsoulsurvive*]

I need my fix of Uma, so yeah, I'm dying to see this.

[Bullet Tooth Tony]

Originally posted by Strider
I'll see the film, but let me be completely honest, "Paycheck" does not look like a very good or exciting film. I suppose I'll be checking it out for the sakes of John Woo, Uma Thurman, and the fact that the film is based on a novel by Phillip K. Dick.

Not expecting much though.....

My thoughts exactly.

[bjeggert82]

Originally posted by jackson13
I have 2 problems with this movie that are keeping me from seeing it until its released on video.

#1 - If they erased his memory, how does he know this? If you have no memory, how can you remember that your memory was erased?

#2 - The 19 clues. Again, if you have no memory, how do you know what these 19 clues you left yourself are? You cant, because you wouldnt be able to remember!



The two problems you have with the movie are explained in the various trailers...

#1--He knows he is going to have his memory erased BEFORE he does this "job" for whatever company he's working for. Aaron Ekhart's character explains that to him before he does anything.

#2--He finds out about the 19 clues when he goes to pick up his paycheck... Instead of a check, he makes sure he has these 19 clues, which he left for himself. Hence the signifigance of the title "PAYCHECK".

[BorderEevilIII]

Has John Woo lost his edge? I still wanna see it. But "Total Recall" came to mind when I was watching the trailer.

[sharkstank]

looks intersting.
interesting premise, uma, affleck, woo.
may check it out on christamas, as i'm hoping to see this, cold mountain and peter pan

WWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Benny]

John Woo + PG-13 rating + Ben Affleck + a lot of other movie i need to see = I won't be seeing this one.

By the way, that kind of tagline is "Remember the Future?"

[sleekproductions]

http://www.cinemamontreal.com/images/paycheck.jpg

Paycheck is easily one of the year's biggest guilty pleasures for me. Everyone has them, and I am not ashamed to say that I really enjoyed this film. It was by no means groundbreaking, or great on an artistic level, but it provided loads of pure fun and entertainment. Ben Affleck is usually regarded as one of the lesser Hollywood stars, however I always liked the guy. Whether it be a quirky, loud performance in one of his early independent films, or a “movie star” performance in one of his newer action or thriller films, he is always adequate. He is by no means a talented thespian, but I can’t help but like the guy in whatever role it may be, and it is no different here. He is an attractive, buff, cool, and surprisingly funny guy…a bona fide movie star, never crossing over the line of being a true actor, which, thankfully, he never tries to do. Uma Thurman lights up the screen with her beauty and radiance, and is also fine in her role. It is not a demanding part, especially after her masterful performance in Kill Bill Volume 1, however she gets some nice love scenes, as well as a few moments of being able to kick ass. The rest of the cast, including Aaron Eckhart as the main villain, and Paul Giamatti as the funny sidekick, if you will, is suitable in their roles. This is by no means an acting film, but everyone fits his or her role nicely.

I loved the premise of the film, with the inclusion of seeing the future, memory erasure, and the 20 clues. I have read the story by Philip K. Dick, and they elaborate on it nicely. Watching the mystery unfold as Jennings (Affleck) tries to save his life, and figure out what the purpose of each of the 20 clues is, is an engrossing and decently intelligent affair. The film is also surprisingly focused, and leaves a lot of what happens to the viewer, a smart tactic in a film such as this. The film also never tries to be nearly as deep, or beautiful as last year’s Dick adaptation, Minority Report, which is an extremely different film anyways.

The film, while set in the future, never comes off as being a pure science fiction film, rather as an action/mystery film, which makes perfect sense being that it never stretches past the year of 2007 (noted on the bank form that Jennings signs.) Will technology really be this good next year (the 3 year hold makes the film start out in 2004), no, but then again this is a fictional film. Being then that this is an action film, does it deliver? It is certainly more focused on the mystery aspects, but what few action scenes there are, are excellent. The motorcycle chase, and the grand finale especially, are great set pieces. They are filled with tons of “wooisms” (Gotta have that dove) as well as plenty of explosions and kick ass moments. I also loved the ending, and though that it fit perfectly.

The film on its own is also extremely stylish, and John Woo does a fine job directing. The editing is solid, the cinematography fluid, and the various filters and mind montages used are effective. The film is also not at all special effects heavy, however what little there are, are quite good. Also to note is the score by John Powell, which fits the film perfectly, the script, which is adequate, and the set design, which is stylish and sleek.

All in all Paycheck is by no means a great film, but it is a great guilty pleasure action film. I am not at all ashamed to say that I pretty much loved it. In a year where most of the average, entertaining movies have been absolute crap, and although this film has gotten pretty much terrible reviews, I find it refreshing that I enjoyed this film as much as I did, because that is really all that matters, and it is also the perfect break from all of the heavy films released around this time of the year.

[Common Sense Man]

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Well I saw this movie today and it is not a total crap-fest but it is not a Woo movie either.

John you need to go back to your roots because the action in this flick was run of the mill buddy.

And if I see one more person eject their clip from their gun and kick it I will scream.

Overall I enjoyed the flick. But the one thing that really bugged me was the same thing that bugged me about Minority Report, another film based on a story by Mr. Dick.

Just as in MR the main character goes back into a high security facility using his ID.

Now why oh why didn't the company invalidate his ID when they realized he went rouge. That is just too easy of a detail to overlook.

Other than that it was just your regular movie.

The most interesting part for me was the usage of the 19 items. The rest was predictable.

The action was not Woo like at all, and Ben is just Ben.

And enough of this PG-13 bullshit.

It was like watching the A-Team. Ben and Uma must have fought a hundred henchmen but they didn't kill any of them!? Boring!

And why send a body double to the cafe when Ben doesn't even remember what she looks like! Hello.

Now I have never read any of Mr. Dicks stories but it seems like he is stuck in a rut.

Almost every move that is adapted from his works seems to be about loosing your memory, then remembering what happened thru clues you leave yourself.

And I must agree with Joblo about the whole is this in the future or the present?

I know it was supposed to be in the future but after the first few minutes it looked like any other cop tv show.

I would recommend a video view as there is nothing EFX wise that will suffer being seen on the small screen.

5/10

Out...............................................

[sleekproductions]

What people are failing to remember is that the film only takes place in 2007, as noted on the bank slip he signs. And that is really not that far into the future at all.

[Common Sense Man]

Originally posted by sleekproductions
What people are failing to remember is that the film only takes place in 2007, as noted on the bank slip he signs. And that is really not that far into the future at all.

Yah I noticed that too but I thought it was a mistake.

Because as far as I know we don't have brain wiping machines or drugs yet. Or monitorless 3d computers!

It should have been around 2030.

Out.......................................

[sleekproductions]

Originally posted by Common Sense Man
Yah I noticed that too but I thought it was a mistake.

Because as far as I know we don't have brain wiping machines or drugs yet. Or monitorless 3d computers!

It should have been around 2030.

Out.......................................

This is a FICTION film set in the years 2004-2007 as noted in the film. So, they could add whatever technology they wanted to, whether it is possible or not.

[EDsoulsurvive*]

I saw this flick with a bunch of people last night and I have to say that it met my expections and was pretty much everything i wanted it to b, nothing more and nothing less. Paycheck plays as a cross between Minority Report and the Bourne Identity, if you liked both or either of thos emovies alot you'll enjoy this.

In a nutshell, this movie is about a man (Affleck) who creates a machine that threatens existence but has his brain wiped so he cant remember anything. He must use clues he left for himself to stay alive as it seems everyone is after him while in the process destroying the device.

Ben Affleck plays Ben Affleck. If his charisma doesnt get to you than this character wont either. Uma Thurman shines as usual, her natural beauty and quick wit make up her character, Affleck's love interest. Aaron Echart played a douche bag well. I really hated the guy and was rooting for Affleck. John Woo did a good job IMO here. We get some great action scenes and chases, some nice angles, and the occasional tense moment.

All in all, Paycheck is the standard of a good action flick. We are introduced to likable heroes, hateworthy bad guys, and a decent plot with enough twists to keep the audience on their toes. Not a great flick but definitely a fun ride.

Paycheck - 7/10


Action high and low of 2003:
Bad Boys 2 - 8/10
Timeline - 4/10

[the saw is family]

i saw this last week on christmas eve at work, thought it was a pretty decent time waster, decent action scenes and a few touches of old john woo. the main bummer was uma thurman after seeing her as the bride this role was just garbage, giamatti as usual brought life to every scene he was in. so if you aren't a descriminating movie viewer and wanna see something to waste some time, paycheck is decent.

paycheck-6/10

[vtadave]

Is JLo in this??

[Jon Lyrik]

Originally posted by vtadave
Is JLo in this??

Nope. :)

[Andrew Tom]

Am I the only one who thinks that poster looks very old? I mean something I would see at the video store, if I went there in the 80's?

[TheLoveBelow]

I kinda wanna see it. It looks like a good action movie.

[blankpage]

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/paramount_pictures/paycheck/_group_photos/ben_affleck3.jpg


PAYCHECK (5/10)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Uma Thurman, Aaron Eckhart, Paul Giamatti
Directed by: John Woo
Rated: PG-13 (for intense action violence and brief language.)


Story: Set in the no-so-distant future, a man accepts a three year job and one big paycheck. But, after the job, his memory must be erased.


Review: The movie adaptations of Philip H. Dick stories haven't been so kind with me. Including 'Paycheck', there are 5 in total. There is only one of them that I actually love. In fact, I love it. That one is Spielberg's 'Minority Report'. A smart, dark, and simply brilliant film. The others: 'Blade Runner', Ridley Scott's flimpsy mess of a film. I regard 'Blade Runner' as one of the worst films to be made, actually. It is a pretentious bore that is way to messy and full of dirt that it is simply horrible; 'Total Recall', that one stars the Governor himself. Wow. And I thought 'Blade Runner' was messy! A two year old can make less of a mess than 'Total Recall'; And, 'Imposter'. Yeah, ok then. But, despite the horrid track record, I thought 'Paycheck' looked pretty decent. It looked like it could be some good clean fun. And oh, don't get me wrong, it was. In fact, I was really enjoying myself for the first hour or so of the film. I little bit on the cheese ball side, but it was really surprising me. It wasn't as messy, pointless, and a roll eyer than the other Dick adaptations. But then, oh God, then came the third and final act. One that almost ruined the movie if it weren't for the first two smart acts. Then, it became way too cliched, way too messy, way too pointless, and oh mother, I was rolling my eyes like crazy. I was becoming very uncomtrable just sitting and watching it. Well, at least it didn't turn out to be a complete 'Gigli'.

Ben Affleck is the kind of guy I've always liked. The kind of guy I'd like to just kick back and share a beer with. He's a very down-to-earth guy, and I felt bad for him this year. Yeah, I know I made a 'Gigli' wisecrack. But, he's a good guy, and he needs a hit. I did enjoy him in 'Paycheck' though. Even though he himself looked a bit uncomtrable in the third act as well, I still thought he was pretty decent. Affleck is in my opinion a well-rounded guy. He can play just about any role. Here he shows off his action hero chops. I thought he was pretty decent. To me, he's more like the hero with flaws. He isn't built like Arnold, but he still as a hero quality to him.

I'm officially in love with Uma Thurman. Despite being a bit wooden (I was too..) I was pleased with 'The Bride' herself. The script she had was horrible though. Her dialogue was quite cliched and bland. It was obvious she was class it up.

The third act is pretty much all I'm going to talk about. It was cheesy, bland, stupid, and CLICHED. I was expecting some smart tiwst ending -- ala Minority Report-- but instead I got a sappy, preachy, and horrid of an ending. "Don't you believe in second chances?" Please! I could've pull that out of my arse.

The special effects were decent. Too bad the movie wasn't. 'Paycheck' has a great first half, but the last half is awful. This is a rental, for sure. Too bad we can't get a good action movie these days.

[phelonious]

Did anyone else think for a nano-second ... when Aaron Eckhart opened the briefcase: Oh shit! MARSELLUS WALLACE is going to be soooooo angry!

[HHH123007]

I watched it tonight....

The script is horrible, but I liked it for the popcorn flick it was. Uma Thurman's character was totally unnecessary. :(

*** or (6/10)

[Grim H.]

I think I'll pass on this one. From what I can gather in the previews, this film looks shitty, sounds shitty, and appears to make no sense at all. It's just another excuse for John Woo to blow stuff up unnecessarily. I was watching the previews when I saw a car chase. A car hit something and then exploded on impact. What the FUCK?! Just seems like more hollywood hype in order to cash a big fat Paycheck...no pun intended.

[Jerk Shapiro]

Ah...Paycheck...



This movie was, I dunno, it was an alright time while I was there, watching it (and for the record, it NEVER kept me guessing), and NO, I was never on the edge of my seat.

With that said, it's really sad how forgettable this movie is. Which is quite ironic, since it deals with memory-erasing and such, but...it's just weird. My friend and I walked out, saw one of our friends, and talked for 45 minutes. Which was much more enjoyable than the actual movie itself.

So, bottom line, it's an alright time while you're there, watching it. But it's so forgettable, it's not even funny.


6/10

[Heavenley]

I thought PAYCHECK was mildly entertaining, and the storyline was ok. Pretty average.

[Tuukka]

I liked it, but I have to admit it's only slightly above average.

Acting is adequate all around, but unspirited. Thurman's role is pretty useless, she is just a love interest. Woo's directing is competent, but by the numbers. The motorbike chase was the highlíght, but even that didn't feel like anything special. Action climax in the end was on the other hand very mediocre.

Script has some good ideas, but falls often into corny cliches. It also has a seríous believability problem. Affleck is building this secret machine that sets plot into motion. But the machine is so far-out that it goes straight to the realm of fantasy in a film which seeminly happens only 5-15 years into the future. The machine is an interesting plot gimmick in itself, but it would be easier to buy it if the context wouldn't be so close to modern day.

All in all a decent film. A solid rental, but don't expect too much.

6/10.

[Erin123]

Originally posted by HHH123007
Or the all important question, why not leave a letter explaining everything as one of the clues?...:rolleyes:

I'll still see this even though that question I just posed will probably stop me from taking this seriously. Poor Affleck.

Ummm, because they would have screened his belongings and figured out what he was trying to do...maybe? He had to make it difficult so Eckhart and his crew wouldn't try to stop him before he began to figure it all out.