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Plot:
Brilliant computer engineer Michael Jennings routinely has his short term memory erased, so he can't divulge any information about the top secret projects he works on throughout the year. For his most...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:October 9, 2008This was a great action Sci-fi flick. Ben Affleck and Aaron Eckhart are great in this. John Woo brings brings together great action scenes with a great story.
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MCT:October 5, 2008"Michael Jennings is not a super agent, he's an engineer."
Ever since John Woo trotted off to Hollywood, the quality of his output has gradually declined. Following the days of Hard-Boiled, A Better Tomorrow and The Killer, director Woo moved into Hollywood and made his mark with the underrated Hard Target and the exceptional action-thriller Face/Off.
But the golden years of John Woo cinema have disintegrated. Mission: Impossible II and Windtalkers play a key role in the death of Woo's Hollywood career. At of 2008, Paycheck denotes Woo's final slice of Hollywood cinema. It isn't difficult to comprehend why: Paycheck is brainless, witless, utterly preposterous, formulaic, rarely thrilling and frequently boring. It's a no-brainer actioner assembled from components of the most conventional techno action-thrillers: a wealthy cold-blooded industrialist with an evil agenda, a hero with no understanding of the situation, a love interest with a passion for helping the hero, FBI pursuing the hero (they do an awful job and cause the story to constantly plod), a vast technologically-advanced laboratory, and of course plenty of security guards to get offed unsentimentally during an action scene.
Based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, the story tracks a Reverse Engineer named Michael Jennings (Affleck). Employers hire Michael to deconstruct products of rival companies, re-engineer the product, and make improvements. After Michael finishes his work, he's given his paycheck and has knowledge of the experience erased from his noggin. This memory erasure essentially removes any evidence of illegal activities that could incriminate his employer.
He's soon approached by shady billionaire Rethrick (Eckhart) who offers Michael the chance of a lifetime: a job that will take three years, but will earn him almost $100 million. Against the advice of close friend Shorty (Giamatti), Michael accepts Rethrick's offer. In the blink of an eye three years have passed, Michael has finished the job, and a memory erasure has transpired. He's also almost $100 million richer! But as Michael begins to get his life back in order he's informed that during the three years he forfeited his gargantuan paycheck and instead left himself 19 seemingly useless everyday items. The FBI also begin to pursue Michael as he's been accused of treason. And Michael's life is continually threatened by the company he'd been an employee of for the preceding three years.
To me, the film's title of Paycheck presumably refers to the reason why so many big names agreed to be involved with the film. There's a lifeless Ben Affleck, an aging Uma Thurman, a cardboard Aaron Eckhart, an underused Paul Giamatti...and then there's director Woo who quite frankly appears to be on autopilot. Judging by the film's overall quality, I'm guessing Woo grew bored of the film early into the game and strived desperately to complete the film as soon as possible (quality be damned). By the time the film reached its climax I got the inkling that everyone involved was bored and urgently wanted to end the movie as soon as possible. The action is disappointing for a Woo film as well. Granted, the vehicle chase towards the middle section was somewhat watchable. However the climax got dreary very quickly. Gone is the dreaded slow motion, but as a substitute the action is almost incomprehensible. I had no idea what was happening 90% of the time. The trademark John Woo dove appearance towards the end can best be described as painful. Urgh!
Paycheck begins with a killer concept, and then quickly disintegrates into silliness before the formulaic action-packed climax. The movie continually plays it safe instead of being subversive or mind-blowing like Minority Report or Total Recall. In fact the film predominantly draws inspiration from these two aforementioned movies. Unfortunately, though, Paycheck lacks the classy touch of the former and the exhilarating ultra-violence of the latter.
Worse are the gaping plot holes. There's also the ludicrous concept of the 19 items Michael sends himself. Maybe if it wasn't so dreadfully overused we could buy it. But past the use of the first 5 items, it's impossible to believe a word of it. Further pain is derived from the lack of intelligence in the script. Everything happens so conveniently. The unbelievably handy timing is too implausible. Like when the FBI agents realise a clue regarding the future destination of the hero...just as the hero is moving to said destination.
The actors are yet another issue. The habitually horrible Ben Affleck oozes zero charm as Michael Jennings. He's so contrived and seems too content when his life is threatened. Not as bad as Gigli...but what wouldn't be? Thurman looks aging and bored. The chemistry between Thurman and Affleck is simply dismal.
In case you haven't realised, Paycheck is pure popcorn fodder with zero artistic merit. It happily rattles along at an ordinary pace as the unbelievable story (that grows thoroughly boring past the first 30 minutes) continues to unfold.
I can't help but get a sense of cinematic déjà vu: the film is strikingly similar to 2002's Minority Report. Both films are based on stories written by Philip K. Dick. Perhaps Dick was infatuated with fate and pre-destination that he decided to write two almost identical short stories. But that doesn't mean Hollywood should retread the same territory repeatedly. If Paycheck was a decent experience, the similarities to Minority Report could be overlooked. But Paycheck is stupid beyond comprehension and barely provides entertainment. I kept growing bored...even during an action scene. When it's a John Woo action scene that's causing me to yawn then something is horribly wrong. -
MCT:September 16, 2008after-minute :
a not-so-fun to watch futuristic movie .THE REVIEW
Story :
The plot itself just very , very simple as simple as Wachowsky's kids movie Speed Racer . There's Ben Affleck as protagonist and <s>Aaron Eckhart as antagonist</s> . Simple plot , betrayal , <s>not-too-smart</s> protagonist's tricks . This is surely not a John Woo's masterpiece . Eventhough the idea is okay . But , it failed , not only as qualified movie but also as a fancy movie.
Script :
ehm....no comment... the script just way too simple , not yet cool .
Directing :
first , i think John Woo mixed directing _disabled , from Chinese's Jackie Chan's way to Michael Bay's way and it failed .
Second , the movie itself isn't extravagant enough . Yes , it serves great casts but not-so-great directing.
Third , The movie itself give us too much clues . I can't make us think hardly only for a second .
Setting :
futuristic . The best thing from all of this movie , futuristic not yet too-crazy . But , it's not great enough.
Casting :
Ben Affleck as Michael Jennings. The character itself is sucks . Ben Affleck showed in a very simple way of acting , the basic ways . Even Channing Tatum could do it .Aaron Eckhart as Jimmy . Stupid role . If you compared Jimmy to Aaron's role as Harvey Dent . It's like comparing earth and sky . He did his role okay , actually , but , yup , not as gripping as Harvey .
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Not so nice , every second , the tension and the excitement decreased slowly . -
MCT:September 3, 2008
While Ben Affleck and Aaron Eckhart are good and John Woo crafts some energetic set pieces, Paycheck's convoluted story and plot-hole riddled execution makes it feel like a dumbed down "Memento" ripoff.
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MCT:August 27, 2008i dont have words to appraise this movie...
one thing i can say u about this movie is u will never know till ending whats gonna happen -
MCT:August 17, 2008
I like action movies. But this. This was a waste of my time. Yes, the storyline was quite interesting but overall, it wasn't entertaining enough for me. The 'chemistry' between Uma and Ben was dismal. Oh well. 2 stars.
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MCT:August 16, 2008I forgot about this one.... I loved it! It kinda reminds me of me..Well not remembering stuff not the uber smart part.. LOL
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MCT:July 16, 2008Ben Affleck isn't always the best actor to watch... however his cast members can probably make up for that. The plot is interesting and has a cast to back it up.
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MCT:July 4, 2008
Not one of John Woo's better efforts..but an ok watch..decent action..story is far fetchd but hey..suspend belief and you will enjoy
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MCT:June 21, 2008
I think this movie was really well done and I'm surprised it wasn't a bigger hit than it was. We own the DVD and we love it.
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MCT:June 20, 2008
In terms of pacing, it feels like the PKD story it derives from, but on every other level it disappoints, creating too clean a world with too much stilted acting to work out.
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MCT:June 18, 2008
Terrible John Woo movie. Bad direction damages the film to great extent. Ben Affleck's wooden acting is awful along with everything else. A huge failure. It reflects how bad John Woo's American film career has gone.
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MCT:June 8, 2008I wish this could've been better. I really like the people involved. I'm sure John Woo wrecked this.
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MCT:June 4, 2008
lets get one thing straight from the off is this was not directed by john woo it would have been terrible. the film plays out like a mixture between total recall the matrix and minority report but without any of those films best parts. Some of the action is good and the style is everything you would expect of mr woo so no complaints there. and Aaron eckhart is good as the villain but thats the only good bit of casting. Uma thurman is nothing like the bride in kill bill here she resorts to playing an annoying damsel that doesnt suit her at all, furthermore ben affleck makes even the most plauable role seem unrealistic so its unsuprising he doesnt come close to pulling off this one as an engineer turned action man. Overall paycheck as some very neat ideas and good sequences, the style of the film is very slick but even while you are enjoying it the back of your mind will be telling you you shouldnt be. oh and the ending where everything fits ver neatly into place is both annoying and frustrating which tarnishes any of the good points delivered in the first hour 50 minutes.
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MCT:May 31, 2008
Even though I dont buy the idea that anyone with good vision would risk any amount of money or their life for Uma Thurman, the movie itself was pretty decent.
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MCT:May 30, 2008
One of John Woo's typical Hollywood dissapointing films. Ben Affleck sucks and Uma Thurman was a little bit annoying. Nothing new here...
68/100 -
MCT:May 26, 2008
i generally hate Ben Affleck, but he was alright in Paycheck. it was a very smart, though provoking movie.
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MCT:May 23, 2008
This is a gripping flick and the casting of the leads is spot on. AfflecK doesn't always suit the roles he gets but he does a good job here and his pairing with Thurman feels right too.
I liked it. -
MCT:May 12, 2008
O género de ficção científica, neste caso aqui numa variante de action thriller, apesar de ser teoricamente aquele que menos convenções tem de enfrentar, tem sido nos últimos anos aquele que mais se tem apegado a `material` literário. Pensa-se ser essa uma forma de minimizar os riscos de uma produção. Se o nome por detrás do título é inquestionável, o filme também deverá sê-lo. E um bom exemplo disso mesmo é o nome de Philip K. Dick, reputado romancista norte americano de ficção científica. Veja-se os casos de `Blade Runner` de Ridley Scott, um dos títulos máximos da década de 80 na ficção científica, `Total Recall` de Paul Verhoeven e o original `Minority Report` de Spielberg. Todos adaptacões de contos de Dick e todos filmes consagrados. Mas não há bela sem senão. E `Paycheck` até parte de belas premissas para poder ser um bom filme. A história é aliciante, embora confusa por vezes(ou não lidasse simultaneamente com o passado, presente e futuro). O realizador competente, ou não tivesse já dado mostras do seu valor. Portanto à partida as coisas compunham-se para um grande filme de acção. Mas infelizmente não é o que acontece.
Este thriller segue a história de Michael Jennings , um engenheiro electrónico que para ganhar a vida aceita `missões` ultra secretas de grandes companhias do ramo. Em troca, recebe cheques chorudos: só tem que trabalhar e depois passar uma borracha no que se passou. Literalmente. O seu manager profissional, Shorty (Paul Giamatti) encarrega-se pessoalmente de lhe apagar parte da memória para que não possa vender segredos aos seus concorrentes. Numa festa, o seu colega James Retrick (Aaron Ekhart) convida-o para um último trabalho na sua `Allcom` que lhe dará um cheque com oito dígitos ( mas porque sempre o último golpe antes de se retirar?). O trabalho implica trabalhar com um laser que atingirá para lá da curvatura do tempo conseguindo um vislumbre do futuro. Desta vez serão três anos que terão de ser apagados da sua memória. Hesitante acaba por aceitar, não sem antes fazer olhinhos a Rachel Porter (Uma Thurman) bióloga, trabalhadora da empresa, que acabará por formar o par amoroso com Affleck Elipse. E três anos depois ( e 30 minutos do filme já lá vão) a sua memória foi-se e os problemas amontoam-se. Tem de descobrir porque abdicou de 90 milhões de dólares e o que se passou na sua `ausência` e para isso tem à sua disposição um envelope com 19 objectos que `alguém` os terá colocado lá estrategicamente.
E acaba por ser essa, precisamente, uma das falhas do filme. Talvez porque John Woo ainda se encontre em Hollywood há relativamente pouco tempo (12 anos???), ainda não se apercebeu da facilidade com que a máquina de hollywood se cola a clichets? E mais uma vez aqui estão um rol deles. Cada elemento do filme posto de uma maneira estratégica- tal como os objectos cada um com a sua função- pronto a que tudo corra bem. Como vinho a martelo, o objectivo de Michael Jennings passa a dada altura por deter a Allcom e impedir assim o fim do mundo (mais um clichet). E porquê? Porque os líderes mundiais ao conseguirem antever um ataque, antecipar-se-iam gerando, um mais que certo, conflito mundial. Eu sei que é ficção mas isto é abusar...
Nesta obra perpassam os ares de filmes cuja temática é semelhante como o simpático `The Bourne Identity` de Doug Lyman( 2002) , `Minority Report` de Spielberg (2002) ou `T ota l Recall` de Paul Verhoeven (1990). São ténues as lembranças do percursor `Memento` de Chris Nolan. Entretanto as ideias boas vão sendo esprimidas e vai ficando cada vez mais a privisibilidade de mais um filme de acção sem densidade dada às personagens.
Em entrevista a propósito desta sua última obra John Woo referiu que se preocupou bastante com a dimensão humana das personagens. Mas esta é, durante todo o filme, débil. A hesitação do ser humano Michael ao aceitar este último trabalho, o amor por Rachel são explorados em banalidades, roçando mesmo a caricatura.
Resta-nos o que leva muitos de nós ao cinema. A acção, pura e dura. E aí Woo, cumpre. São empolgantes algumas sequências como a passada no metro ou a perseguição de mota durante as quais o único objectivo é sobreviver aos homens de Allcom. Nestas Woo dá um arzinho da sua graça com uma câmara incansável e com tempo para as suas imagens de marca: as pombas e o mexican stand off.
Mas o pior mesmo do filme é, infelizmente, porque começa a ser habitual, Ben Affleck. Eu compreendo actores que façam uma gestão errada da sua carreira como por exemplo Kevin Costner. Eu até consigo perceber actores cujo principal problema são as personagens que lhes são dadas para a mão como por exemplo Mel Gibson. ( e quem sabe, se não tem cuidado, Russel Crowe, que já teve mais longe de se tornar um actor canastrão..). Agora não compreendo como Hollywood continua a dar sucessivas oportunidades a Affleck cuja falta de carisma transformam a natural falta de jeito em algo constrangedor. Para que se saiba são já cinco as nomeações para os Razzies. Para não dizer apenas mal das interpreatções fale.-se de Paul Giamatti cujo papel é menor mas sempre vai dando para aguçar o apetite para `The American Splendor` vencedor em Sundance 2003. -
MCT:April 8, 2008
I like this movie! I was curious what's inside the envelop and how he got all these things when his memory was erased which led to an action pack adventure!!
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MCT:March 29, 2008
Just checked out this video and must say this was filled with a lot of twists and turns. Still I found that his job was not clarified specifically. Uma Thurman and Ben Affleck do check out on screen, they pulled off a good screen couple. Though I thought that he acted very similar in most of his movies, but I gues I liked this this one, it was a cool run around.
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MCT:March 22, 2008its always a gamble watching a ben affleck movie, its either a stinker or a great movie... this was... err... not good. Uma Thurman didnt help him out any though
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MCT:March 22, 2008
dude i was so confused the hole time i watched it i havent even watched the ending and ive seen it 5 times....
