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IMDbPro

Paycheck

  • 20032003
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
109K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,176
961
Paycheck (2003)
Home Video Trailer from Paramount Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:33
2 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionMysterySci-Fi
What seemed like a breezy idea for an engineer to net him millions of dollars, leaves him on the run for his life and piecing together why he's being chased.What seemed like a breezy idea for an engineer to net him millions of dollars, leaves him on the run for his life and piecing together why he's being chased.What seemed like a breezy idea for an engineer to net him millions of dollars, leaves him on the run for his life and piecing together why he's being chased.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
109K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,176
961
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • John Woo
    • Writers
      • Philip K. Dick(short story)
      • Dean Georgaris(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Ben Affleck
      • Aaron Eckhart
      • Uma Thurman
    Top credits
    • Director
      • John Woo
    • Writers
      • Philip K. Dick(short story)
      • Dean Georgaris(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Ben Affleck
      • Aaron Eckhart
      • Uma Thurman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 392User reviews
    • 191Critic reviews
    • 43Metascore
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 2 nominations

    Videos2

    Paycheck
    Trailer 2:33
    Paycheck
    What Roles Was Ben Affleck Considered For?
    Video 4:10
    What Roles Was Ben Affleck Considered For?

    Photos101

    Paul Giamatti in Paycheck (2003)
    Uma Thurman and Ben Affleck in Paycheck (2003)
    Aaron Eckhart in Paycheck (2003)
    Ben Affleck in Paycheck (2003)
    Uma Thurman and Aaron Eckhart in Paycheck (2003)
    Ben Affleck in Paycheck (2003)
    Ben Affleck and Paul Giamatti in Paycheck (2003)
    Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, and Colm Feore in Paycheck (2003)
    Ben Affleck in Paycheck (2003)
    Ben Affleck and Paul Giamatti in Paycheck (2003)
    Uma Thurman and Ben Affleck in Paycheck (2003)
    Ben Affleck, Michael C. Hall, and Joe Morton in Paycheck (2003)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ben Affleck
    Ben Affleck
    • Jennings
    Aaron Eckhart
    Aaron Eckhart
    • Rethrick
    Uma Thurman
    Uma Thurman
    • Rachel
    Michael C. Hall
    Michael C. Hall
    • Agent Klein
    Paul Giamatti
    Paul Giamatti
    • Shorty
    Colm Feore
    Colm Feore
    • Wolfe
    Joe Morton
    Joe Morton
    • Agent Dodge
    Peter Friedman
    Peter Friedman
    • Attorney General Brown
    Kathryn Morris
    Kathryn Morris
    • Rita Dunne
    Ivana Milicevic
    Ivana Milicevic
    • Maya-Rachel
    Christopher Kennedy
    • Stevens
    Fulvio Cecere
    Fulvio Cecere
    • Agent Fuman
    John Cassini
    John Cassini
    • Agent Mitchell
    Callum Keith Rennie
    Callum Keith Rennie
    • Jude - Guard
    Michelle Harrison
    Michelle Harrison
    • Jane
    Claudette Mink
    Claudette Mink
    • Sara Rethrick
    Ryan Zwick
    • Street Kid
    Dee Jay Jackson
    • Guard
    • (as Deejay Jackson)
    • Director
      • John Woo
    • Writers
      • Philip K. Dick(short story)
      • Dean Georgaris(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Woo originally did not want to do his trademark "Mexican Standoff" in this film, but Ben Affleck begged Woo to include the scene, having been a big fan of Woo's films The Killer (1989) and Hard Boiled (1992).
    • Goofs
      During the opening sequence, Jennings purchases a 3D monitor and copies the tech to create a new version that no longer needs the screen. The execs are amazed and rush it to product. But to do the reverse engineering, Jennings uses an interactive 3D hologram system much more advanced than the one he is designing.
    • Quotes

      Shorty: Maybe we should just find Decker.

      Michael Jennings: I can't talk to Decker.

      Shorty: Why not?

      Michael Jennings: He had an accident.

      Shorty: An accident?

      Michael Jennings: Yeah, he, uh, he fell out of his bedroom window.

      Shorty: He fell out of his... He *fell* out of his bedroom window!

    • Connections
      Featured in Paycheck: Designing the Future (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Minute Waltz in D Flat Major Op. 64 No. 1
      by Frédéric Chopin

      Performed by Lincoln Mayorga

      Courtesy of Townhall Records

    User reviews392

    Review
    Top review
    some clever plotting done in by man-on-the-run cliches
    Though futuristic in look and tone, John Woo's `Paycheck' is really a throwback to that oldie about the man who wakes up one day as an amnesiac only to find himself being pursued by the authorities for a crime he may or may not have committed (just about every other Hitchcock film seemed to be built on this premise to one extent or another). The difference is that Michael Jennings is an amnesiac by choice, a brilliant engineer and scientist whose job it is to develop top-secret inventions for hi tech corporations. Once he's delivered the goods, he allows his memory to be erased – thereby rendering him innocuous as a security threat - in exchange for the lucrative paychecks the companies offer him.

    Yet another of the many recent adaptations of a Phillip Dick story, `Paycheck' begins in the present day, a strange choice on the part of the filmmakers actually, for in this film's view of 2004, the technology for memory erasure seems to be in full swing and widely accepted (perhaps the producers didn't want to have to deal with the expense or bother of creating futuristic designs for their sets and costumes). The majority of the story, however, takes place in 2007, after Jennings `wakes up' from a three-year stint working on a secret project about which he can remember nothing. The trouble is that things haven't quite worked out the way Jennings planned as he finds himself the quarry of both the FBI and the organization for which he was working. Of course, Jennings doesn't know why. As is customary with films of this type, we uncover the clues and piece together the picture right along with the increasingly more enlightened main character.

    It's that piecing together that is the sole factor of interest in `Paycheck,' for Dick is clearly a writer with a fertile imagination and a gift for mind-bending storytelling. When the film sticks to unraveling its plot complications, it is generally sharp, intriguing and thought-provoking. Too often, though, the film degenerates into a collection of man-on-the-run, action movie clichés. Although the special effects are occasionally impressive, the far-too-frequent chase sequences defy all logic and believability. In fact, a number of scenes actually elicit a few unwanted giggles, so ludicrous and over-the-top are the setup and execution. Director Woo, past master of action spectaculars, is clearly working on autopilot in this film.

    There isn't much to say about the acting, either. Although Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman - as the woman Jennings fell in love with during the three years, but whom he can no longer remember - do their best with the characters assigned to them, neither is given much chance to expand beyond the stereotypical confines of their respective roles.

    When it comes to all those involved in this film, I suspect that Jennings isn't the only one here working solely for the paycheck.
    helpful•40
    24
    • Buddy-51
    • Jul 9, 2004

    FAQ1

    • Is this film based on a novel?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 2003 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Canada
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Lật Mặt
    • Filming locations
      • Burrard SkyTrain Station, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Dreamworks Pictures
      • Davis Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $60,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $53,790,451
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,462,374
      • Dec 28, 2003
    • Gross worldwide
      • $117,248,958
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 59 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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