Paycheck Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Remember the future.
The future depends on a past he was paid to forget.
Michael Jennings is a reverse engineer and what he does is technical jobs for certain companies and as soon as he is done, his memory of the work he has done is wiped out. Now the longest he has been contracted is 2 months. But now billionaire, James Rethrick offers him a job that would last 2 years, maybe 3, and he promises that he will probably earn 8 figures. Michael agrees. Before beginning he turns in all of his personal effects. And when the job is done, his memory is erased and he learns he made over 90 million dollars over the three years. When he goes to claim it and his personal effects, he discovers that prior to the erasure of his memory he waived his rights to the money he earned and that the items that were given to him were not the ones he gave when he began. Later he is arrested by the FBI who say that he committed some act of treason and murder. It's while he is in custody that he escapes using some the items that he was given. He later meets with a friend who gives him some information that helps him understand what is going on. And at the same time Rethrick for some reason wants him so he is being pursued by Rethrick's people.
| Ben Affleck | Michael Jennings |
| Colm Feore | John Wolfe |
| Aaron Eckhart | James Rethrick |
| Uma Thurman | Dr. Rachel Porter |
| Michael C. Hall | Agent Klein |
| Joe Morton | Agent Dodge |
| Paul Giamatti | Shorty |
| Peter Friedman | Atty. Gen. Brown |
| Kathryn Morris | Rita Dunne |
| Ivana Milicevic | Maya-Rachel |
| Christopher Kennedy | Stevens |
| Fulvio Cecere | Agent Fuman |
| John Cassini | Agent Mitchell |
| Callum Keith Rennie | Jude, Guard |
| Michelle Harrison | Jane |
| John Woo |
6.10 out of 10 (18746 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Not a bad idea
posted on 20 Aug 2009This movie had a really good idea for a movie but didn't deliver on the writing or carrying out such a fine idea. They should have played more to how he picked each item to help him rather then trying to remember the girl. Not a bad idea just sort of missed my entertainment marks.
Terrible, such a disappointment from John Woo.
posted on 16 Aug 2009I was excited about seeing Paycheck, being a big fan of John Woo's previous work. Needless to say, I was terribly disappointed with the movie altogether. Affleck was horrible in this movie, and I am beginning to think that he should stick to the only thing that I have enjoyed him in, Commentary tracks from Kevin Smith DVDs. Words cannot describe the disappointment that I had in this movie, I think that the only thing that was enjoyable was the score. Uma Thurman was totally forgettable in this role, Aaron Eckhart's hair was the only thing worse than his acting. Mr. Woo, please go back to making great movies again, I have forgiven you for MI:2, but Paycheck made me think that you have lost it. Everybody, do yourself a favour and save your $ for something better at the theatre. If you are in dire need for some great John Woo Action, check out Face/Off.
Entertaining popcorn flick,though its no Blade runner
posted on 16 Aug 2009Yet another Philip k Dick adaption hits the screens with veteran Hong kong action director John woo helming the project.I feel this movie has been unfairly torn apart by critics and sci fi fans alike.Maybe its the whole 'Bennifer' thing still playing on the publics paparazzi hungry brains or,the fact that Philip k dick fans will never be happy with any adaption of their beloved authors work,but i enjoyed it.Affleck is cast as an engineer who works on big money product development's,the jobs are so hush,hush that he has his memory erased after each contract.Against his pals better judgment he accepts a huge wage to do a 2 year contract.Upon finishing the big job he finds himself in a bit of strife he's also signed away his paycheck in exchange for an envelope full of obscure bits and pieces.Long forgotten love Uma thurman turns up and they go on the run,trying to avoid the evil corporations clutches and make sense of the whole bizarre scenario.So a lot of things are implausable but lighten up people this is a big budget,no grey matter required popcorn flick masquerading as sci fi, attempting to appeal to people who wouldn't normally watch a sci fi film.If you suspend your disbelief for an hour and a half you'll enjoy it.Even though John woo is directing don't expect blood thirsty shootouts as the body count is low,but his trade mark stand offs,and a motorcycle chase are included although he takes a rather workman like ethic to this film.Not as memorable as Dicks other adapted works such as 'Bladerunner','Total recall' or the overrated 'Minority report' but enjoyable escapism regardless.
THIS MOVIE IS BETTER THAN THESE REVIEWS
posted on 08 Aug 2009As I read the reviews here, complaining about this and that and the other, all I could think of was how illiterate the youth of today is. They can't wait to come to the IMDb and put their incoherent blather out there for all to see - anonymously, of course. They can't spell, they can't construct a reasonable sentence, well, you get the idea. Of course, the young ones (and believe me, they're YOUNG) who bashed this are the same people who get all hot and bothered over equally idiotic fare like Independence Day, Spiderman, Daredevil, and all that junk.I really don't see the difference between this and those films. They are what they are, and you either like them or not. I'm no fan of Ben Affleck, but here his presence is at least the equal of other action "stars" like Keanu Reeves. That's not that much of a compliment, but he's not the terrible actor here he's been elsewhere. John Woo is a terrific director. A lot of the "reviewers" here blame the entire film, plot and dialogue on him. Note to "reviewers": Mr. Woo was the DIRECTOR. He did not write the short story the film is based on, nor did he write the screenplay. You don't like the script, don't blame the director. As it stands, the film is solidly paced, with some terrific action scenes, and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Why the "reviewers" can't accept the plot points of this film but accept the plot points of awful movies like Independence Day and Spiderman is beyond me. It makes no sense to me - certain bad films (really bad hit films) they're happy to suspend disbelief for, others they cry foul. It's really the height of idiocy when you think about it. This was designed as a typical now action film, and in that regards it's no better or worse than the plethora of garbage that Hollywood calls movie-making today. Want to know the true villains of the movie business? Not John Woo. No, Robert McKee and Syd Field. If you don't know who they are, do a little research. These idiots are the screenplay gurus who singlehandedly have done more to hurt the movie business than anyone else. Oh, and of course, neither guru has ever written a successful screenplay.
Alright
posted on 02 Aug 2009STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsFrom Philip K Dick,the scribe behind the likes of Minority Report,Total Recall and Blade Runner,comes another high concept vision of the future.Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a 'reverse engineer' who has been hired for a special mission.After completion of the task,however,it is three years later,he has waived all his rights to any financial assets he may have owned and he finds himself married to the beautiful Dr Rachel Porter (Uma Thurman).All of which he has no memory of.Also,for some reason,the FBI is on his trail.The clock is ticking...Despite the reliably wooden Affleck and a confused and,surprisingly considering it's source,not that interesting story,this is actually an okay action film.It has a nice soundtrack and there are occasional flourishes in the script that entertain and engage.The action's watchable more often than not,though not of the standard of what could be called John Woo's best.Much like with MR,the concept is a bit more far fetched and ridiculous than genuinely thought provoking,though a bit more conceivable despite this.Paycheck is a slightly more enjoyable film than MR to boot,and in my book,that would make it one okay film.***
Unintentionally Hilarious!
posted on 02 Aug 2009I'm not a huge fan of action movies and have a tendency to jump at every scary scene. That's how I was at the beginning of this movie, too.Until mid-way through when the movie took a turn from somewhat serious action to an over-acted comedy. The faces and movements of the cast and the ridiculousness of some of the action sequences had my sister and me cracking up in disbelief. I never did think Ben Afleck was the best -- or even a good -- actor, but I still enjoy many of his movies.I enjoyed this movie because of its unintentional turn from action to comedy. I look forward to purchasing the DVD.
a 1980s throwback.
posted on 05 Jul 2009A few years ago this would have been an Arnie/Stalone/Van Damme movie. Bad dialogue, a hokey premise and a lot of thundering anti-climactic music over fairly average action sequences featuring cardboard characters and no heart. We're supposed to like this character? A guy who spends the beginning being an arrogant whizzkid, who cares nothing for the people around him, who - if he grew any in his intervening years has lost all that anyway because his memory was erased and his sole reason for doing what he's doing seems to be why he was doing what he was doing in the first place - Money. Crap on a stick.
I have seen the future...it's not looking good
posted on 27 Jun 2009*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*I got very depressed as I walked out of "Paycheck". The future was revealed to me. Therefore, I have no future. Well, a bleak movie-going future at least. There were a multitude of posters bombarding me as I walked out of the theater. One was for the "Porn star next door" flick "The Girl Next Door". The other was for a movie called "Eurotrip". Both of these movies looked completely asinine although the blonde in "The Girl Next Door" looked hot. So seeing these posters after having been bombarded by the brain dead flick "Paycheck" revealed the future to me: Hollywood makes the majority of their movies as stupid as possible and there is nothing in the world I can do about it.Actually, there is only one thing I can do about it and that's stop going to the movies. Of course that's not really an option. But it's movies like "Paycheck" that give me a harsh reminder of what mainstream Hollywood has in store for me now and until the end of time: One lame brained flick after another. Oh sure, I know Hollywood makes most of their product for teenagers but do their movies have to be this idiotic?"Paycheck" is the story of Ben Affleck on the run with the greatest envelope in the world. He has a lot of knick-knacks in it that may save his life. Remember this phrase: "Oh, Whatever!" You will be repeating it numerous times throughout this movie. How does Affleck know when to use all this junk? What if he uses it in the wrong order? Where did he get the key for the mall utility closet? Why did he kick the bullets at the third subway wire instead of shooting the guy? Why? How? Huh?!! Oh Whatever!The good news is that there are some decent action scenes that save "Paycheck" from the garbage can. There is a good motorcycle chase scene, (where did Affleck learn to drive like a Hollywood stunt driver...ahh who cares?) and a good final showdown back at the lab. But the movie is just too ridiculous. 4/10.
It could've been so much more.
posted on 25 Jun 2009The premise is great but there's no follow through.The dialogue is pure velveeta, the action situations are often so far-fetched or predictable they're laughable. I'm not sure if the actors are really as bad as the bad acting or it's bad directing/script. Maybe in light of the trend of remakes in Hollywood, this one will get remade by someone who cares. The director and screenwriter obviously didn't. Philip Dick, who wrote the original short story, probably rolled over in his grave when this one hit the screen. (Check out his other credits.) Too bad Philip, cause the story was really cool.
Just another stupid sci-fi action movie.
posted on 19 Jun 2009I was trying to find something to watch on Monday night. And then noticed that an action movie with Uma Thurman is coming up from TV. Well I decided to give it a chance.The beginning of this movie was alright, I thought that "Hey maybe this is going to be something good." Well I was wrong. After 15 minutes in the movie had lost its way. They tried to make something great and difficult, but ended up with stupid, easy and predictable action movie. The plot got many mistakes too, you'll find them if you watch this.Ben Afflecks acting is awful too.. Uma Thurman is the only one who could even act a little, but she wasn't that good either.If you're really bored on Sunday morning you might be able to watch this trough, but I don't recommend. I give 2 out of 10 because of a catchy start.
Daft
posted on 17 Jun 2009The scientific-based chase movie has been done to death.Reverse engineer Affleck sends a parcel to himself. As his memory has been wiped he has to solve he clues in the parcel. He's chased by the FBI and his ex-employees.Appropriate title - explains why most of the actors appeared in this turkey. Every clue is immediately solved. I thought those Einstein stamps were worth a fortune. Lame action movie - you've seen it all before. Some editor should have reverse engineered this movie! Thurman must be the least attractive actress in current Hollywood cinema? Dumb, stupid and boring movie.I'd need a big paycheck (paycheque?) to view this movie again.
Where Do I Get My Memory Of The Last Two Hours Erased?
posted on 15 Jun 2009This is a dumb movie. The only enjoyment to be got out of it is figuring out just how dumb it is - and then watch in amazement as it gets even dumber.The Philip K Dick short on which this movie is based relies on the fact that the place where all the secret research goes on, is a totally closed space. Everyone who works there is isolated from the outside world and has their memories of what happens inside erased when they leave. This isolation forces the protagonist to send himself a trail clues to follow that eventually leads him (and the reader) to the discovery of the 'Big Secret'. Okay, it's not PKD's greatest story, but it does have a neat little internal logic which holds up till the end.In this movie that hermetically closed and isolated mysterious workplace has been done away with in favour of a large college campus / research station that allows its staff to live off site and have relationships with each other. Which immediately raises the question: why didn't our hero just write a letter explaining everything, hand it to his girlfriend saying "Give this to me next Tuesday"? Apart from the fact that if he did then there would be nothing to hang tedious endlessly improbable car/bike/helicopter chases, no way we could get to see Ben Affleck outrun the world slowest, least menacing, underground train which, despite having a windscreen (complete with windscreen wiper) seemed to have no driver - or at least not one who could be bothered to look out of the window of the train he was supposed to be driving and apply the breaks when he sees someone on the line in front of him. And all the other implausibly stupid things the characters do for two hours. This film is stupid and thinks its audience is too.I don't mind stupid movies. I can suspend my disbelief with the best of them but this piece of drek just makes me wish the brainwiping technology shown in this movie was real then I could get the last two hours I spent watching this turd erased from my memory. Even if the drug used to do it comes in a really STUPIDLY HUGE scary-looking injector gun. But if I do get my memory of having watched it erased I might be tempted to watch it again, not realising I had already seen it... Hmmm. I think I will leave myself a set of cryptic clues in an envelope. The first would be a day-glo Post-it note with 'Paycheck is Crap - Do not watch it!' written on it.I wonder what it means?I wonder why all those men in suits are shooting machine guns in my general direction and not hitting anything...
need a check to watch the whole movie
posted on 09 Jun 2009OK - i don't like Ben affleck, he never made a good movie (dogma and daredevil suck most). OK I've never seen a really good john woo movie. but I wanted to give the them another chance so I tried watching paycheck. Mr affleck showed once again how charismatic you have to be to get a Hollywood leading role. my friend said affleck is : farm guy from Oklahoma who gets to the big city and becomes a star, I agreed. back to the movie, Thurman appeared, I know tastes differ but she really isn't the wonderful girl she supposed to be for this role - totally hilarious their first meeting in the laboratory . after a short while I realized how badly crafted this flick was: confusing lame story, stereotypes over and over, the totally ridiculous "kick the magazine" scene.. after about one hour my friend asked if we should finish the movie or interrupt, i smiled because I thought it would be over soon, i saw on the DVD cover its about 2hrs long so I decided to stop the DVD and never try it again. my tip: don't put it In your player at all
Half Hitchcock, half Woo, and no Dick whatsoever.
posted on 26 May 2009Although I only listened to half of John Woo's commentary on the DVD of this film, I don't recall him ever once uttering the name of original story author Phillip K. Dick.In fact, Woo took on this project entirely because he thought he saw some of the same identity-displacement that Alfred Hitchcock so artfully plays up in "North by Northwest". And Woo has accomplished a remarkable feat in the first half of this film - it actually does have much the look and feel of Hitchcock's film, similar camera angles, similar lighting and color schemes, similar set-design.In the second half of the film, this effect gets lost, as it becomes clear that Woo, who certainly has made some dynamite action films in the past, doesn't quite get Hitchcock's manipulation of potential action scenes for suspense effect. The amazing set-pieces in "North by Northwest" are so effective because of the way Hitchcock holds on to them, not in the way the action actually pays off. (We're expecting something bad from that infamous crop-duster long before it buzzes down on the unsuspecting Cary Grant).Suspense of this kind is simply not Woo's schtick; so he reverts to what he does best and gives us an over-the-top display of chase, explosions, and gunfights.This film is not a bad action film, it's just schizophrenic.And the decision to make a Hitchcock tribute out of a Phillip K. Dick story is ill-advised, to say the least.Woo needs to spend more time considering his sources before he makes another film with these kinds of references.Entertaining, but not what it could have been.One last point: Ben Affleck is nothing exceptional here, but Uma Thurman, whom I never expected to consider beautiful again after "Kill Bill II", does a nice job of looking like a young Angie Dickinson here, and for me that's quite a compliment.
Not bad but not as good as it could be
posted on 20 May 2009Not as bad as you could imagine it is, (because John Woo directs and IMO he spoilt more than one film with his love to shootout, blows, running wild, car chases etc.) but not as good as it could get with right hand and eye behind the camera. Affleck ain't bad, Eckhart with his foxy smile is just swell, Feore is like a combination of wolf and fox also(I love that actor), Thurman is just herself, Giamatti wears a necessary in films like that role of a clown. A couple of ideas in this movie is just great (like shotgun shooting the floor - nicely done), with the leading place for all kind of hero's stuff - I liked that a lot. Too much of pathos and shallow moralizing (though I just knew they will come up with something like that in this movie - sigh, it's just the way they have to do it, I'm afraid, to let stupid people understand something...). All in all, the movie was very fine to watch. I think Phillip K. Dick won't suffocate of regrets and despair. Not bad work at all, but it could and it should be better. 8/10
I should get a "Paycheck" for making it through this movie.
posted on 18 May 2009POSSIBLE SPOILERSJohnny Mnemonic meets Minority Report minus any redeeming qualities either movie had.I just saw `Paycheck' two days ago and I'd love to have it wiped from my memory (like they do in the movie). The movie is basically about a reverse engineer that's contracted to find secrets in competitor's technologies. Then Affleck (the reverse engineer) is hired for a top-secret assignment and when he's finished his memory is wiped clean. After he remembers nothing he's being chased by everyone and he can't remember why. Ok, the movie NEVER explains Ben Affleck's character! They make him out to be the smartest person in the world that every company needs to build them something. They stick in a random scene (looked like a Daredevil outtake) of him stick-fighting in a gym to give him some credibility when the action starts. So now he's the smartest guy in the world, and he fights like a superhero. So aside from not explaining anything, the movie is so far fetched and ridiculous at times it's funny. Last but not least, I figured I'd be ok since John Woo directed this movie. Boy was I wrong. The action was weak, very little gunplay, although the chase scene was decent. With all of John Woo's trademarks this movie had nothing. no good gun fights, no dramatic slow-motion shots, no flying boats, no action. Although there was the slow-motion shot of the birds flying towards the camera. This movie is not worth the price of admission.
Enjoyable scavenger hunt
posted on 14 May 2009After reading many of the thesaurus-clutching critics vitriolic literary masterpieces, I have one comment for them....get a life!! I watched, and enjoyed "Paycheck" on pay-per-view, as I was tired of paying $9 a head to see critically acclaimed horse manure. So what if the acting wasn't Sir Laurence Olivier? Get over it!! Besides, I could never stay awake more than a few minutes of Sir Larry. And for all the anal-retentive nitpickers who were horrified by a few plot flaws, there is a remedy, get off the couch, turn off the television and computer, and get some sunshine and fresh air. "Paycheck" was light, fast paced, and kept one on one's toes. The movie was exactly what John Woo intended, so I urge everyone to lighten up on his vilification. My only complaint is that there was not enough of the lovely Uma Thurman, and I question where they found all those bad guys who were such bad marksmen? This film is no "Citizen Kane", besides, I have yet to get through that one in its entirety. I score "Paycheck" 8/10.
Better than expected action / sci fi flick
posted on 10 May 2009Philip K Dick wrote many stories which seemed to have great film potential. I never thought of this as one of them.I have seen Ben Affleck in a number of films, and felt that he was good in a few, OK in most, and positively annoying in some.I saw the horrible, misleading trailers.The soundtrack was simply bad.So, needless to say, I went into Paycheck with very low expectations.... and I was pleasantly surprised.Affleck plays a talented reverse-engineer, who sees the possibilities in new technology, and is able to carry it through to fruition. He takes on top-secret jobs and has his memory erased upon the completion of each. He decides to take on a project big and profitable enough to allow him to retire comfortably for the rest of his life. He completes the project, goes through the memory erasure, and then starts to discover what he has done, and, pursued by corporate hit men and the police, tries to recover his memory. Uma Thurmond, a biologist he had fallen in love with, is one of the memories he wants to recover, and also a target. Paycheck is more of an action film than a sci fi flick. The plot serves the action, as do the somewhat one-dimensional characters. And there is so little chemistry between Affleck and Thurmond that the romantic subplot is almost just a distraction. Despite these flaws, I spent an evening being thoroughly entertained by this rehashing of the usual technology-run-amok / knowledge-is-power story. This film is very Hollywood, and uses a lot of slick and clichéd camera-work, but nevertheless tells a good story and does it well enough.
Yaaawwwwwn
posted on 30 Apr 2009Director John Woo was an unknown quantity to me before viewing this turgid yarn. Now I know to avoid his films like the plague. This supposedly fine sci-fi story by respected novelist Philip K Dick has been transformed to solid, stereotyped Hollywood "action movie" pap of the type that seems to continue earning box office dollars despite its repetition, sterility and total lack of originality, invention or interest. Even the luminous presence of Uma Thurman fails to drag this turd out of the gutter. The wooden presence of Ben Affleck is perhaps ideally suited to the piece however. Please, Hollywood, no more of this timewasting.
Coulda, woulda, shoulda been -- but still lots of fun!
posted on 30 Aug 2009You'll find no great truths of the Universe in John Woo's `Paycheck,' nor will you
find his (or anybody else's) best work. Nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised
when I saw this flick at a recent bargain matinee showing. The story was fun and
well-played out for what amounts to a basic, mindless action film. And I'll tell
you, this holiday season there are so many filled-with-doom, dark, sad, tragic
films (albeit well-acted masterpieces), a mindless action flick is a welcome relief.
After reading most of the mainstream reviews, I was ready to be bored andirritated. I am happy to say, I left the theater feeling I had a good time, worth the
price of admission. Yes, `Paycheck' could have been better made, would havebeen better perhaps under different circumstances and, in deference to author
Philip K. Dick, should have been better. But as it is, it's worth its 1 hour and 59
minutes.