A technical wizard learns that his memory has been erased.A technical wizard learns that his memory has been erased.A technical wizard learns that his memory has been erased.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 2 nominations total
Dee Jay Jackson
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- (as Deejay Jackson)
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Philip K. Dick would be furious if he saw this latest adaptation of one of his stories. Things that shouldn't be explained are (e.g. the future machine sees into the future with a really powerful lens that can see around the curvature of the universe... THEN HOW DOES IT SEE INTO BUILDINGS?). Things that need explanations (like why people don't pull the trigger when they have a gun pointed at their enemy) don't get explained, probably because there is no rational explanation.
Every cliche in the book is on display here. The jocular banter between people is as bad as any 70's cop show. The action sequences are tired and overblown. In one ridiculous scene, just before the protagonist is set to die, a dove flies in through the door leaving the audience to wonder WHAT IN BLUE BLAZES?!?!?!
Hardly any of the main characters come off well. Uma Thurman looks about 50 years old for some reason. Ben Affleck can't act as usual. The scientist from Terminator 2 is in this playing some kind of bad-guy good-guy or something. I didn't bother thinking too hard about it.
The sad part is, I could see the brilliance of Philip K. Dicks story poking through the garbage once in a while. The premise is ingenious, but unfortunately every time it peeps its head out, John Woo takes a massive dump on it.
Every cliche in the book is on display here. The jocular banter between people is as bad as any 70's cop show. The action sequences are tired and overblown. In one ridiculous scene, just before the protagonist is set to die, a dove flies in through the door leaving the audience to wonder WHAT IN BLUE BLAZES?!?!?!
Hardly any of the main characters come off well. Uma Thurman looks about 50 years old for some reason. Ben Affleck can't act as usual. The scientist from Terminator 2 is in this playing some kind of bad-guy good-guy or something. I didn't bother thinking too hard about it.
The sad part is, I could see the brilliance of Philip K. Dicks story poking through the garbage once in a while. The premise is ingenious, but unfortunately every time it peeps its head out, John Woo takes a massive dump on it.
Don't let the naysayers keep you from giving Paycheck a look. I found it to be intelligent, inventive, action-packed fun. Ben Affleck does a very credible job playing a man that finds the secrets of new technology out for big paychecks and then has his memory erased. He is offered a huge amount to do just that but lose three years of his life in terms of what he remembers. Well, the film picks up quickly after the three years and Ben Affleck has been played foul by his employer or someone. The science fiction aspect is very involved but presented in a pretty comprehensible style. The film chronicles Affleck's collection of simple, every day items that have been sent to him by - himself - and each has a purpose he must soon discover. Director John Woo mixes lots of gritty, sometimes over-blown action sequences here and there(especially at the end), but they only enhanced the suspenseful nature of the film. The film works primarily because of its thoughtful, engaging script and the adequate acting of Affleck, Aaron Echhart, Colm Feore, sultry Uma Thurman, and always humorous Paul Giamatti. The profound(albeit somewhat lost in the action)lesson in the film's end resonated strongly for me and had me thinking about my future and OUR future here on planet Earth. If a film can do that, it can't be all that bad in my book. The film is based on the science fiction writing of Philip Dick, a great mind and perhaps a soothsayer to what lies ahead for all of us. A great theme for this film might be little things mean a lot OR thanks for the memories!
"Paycheck" is yet another adaptation of a Philip Dick short story that tones down his political criticism and cynicism to make a sci fi adventure flick, this time pretty much as an expensive and clever "McGyver" episode. You can tell how this is expanded from a story where the hero had five items/clues and now he has 20.
Ben Affleck is a bland Ken Doll of a hero, though Uma Furman has almost as much spunk as she did in "Kill Bill, Volume 1."
As a John Woo movie, of course the chase scenes are the best part. But the fight scenes are simply perplexing -- uh, why does Affleck's work out consist of electronic samurai stick fighting such that when the poorly-aiming bad guys all come at him with guns Uma throws him a stick to pick them off?
While I did see the movie on a scratchy print with tinny sound, I don't think that explained the confusingly bad continuity in the hair and make-up such that I thought they had been time-traveling at some tropical vacation in between scenes.
Ben Affleck is a bland Ken Doll of a hero, though Uma Furman has almost as much spunk as she did in "Kill Bill, Volume 1."
As a John Woo movie, of course the chase scenes are the best part. But the fight scenes are simply perplexing -- uh, why does Affleck's work out consist of electronic samurai stick fighting such that when the poorly-aiming bad guys all come at him with guns Uma throws him a stick to pick them off?
While I did see the movie on a scratchy print with tinny sound, I don't think that explained the confusingly bad continuity in the hair and make-up such that I thought they had been time-traveling at some tropical vacation in between scenes.
I went in to this film with relatively low expectations. Other reviews I had read led me to believe that this was a cookie cutter, run of the mill, made for tv-esque amnesia story. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The main plot of most amnesia types is trying to find out who they are and why someone erased their memory. With Paycheck, however, our protagonist already knows why his memory was erased, and since it's only been three years, he of course knows who he is.
The plot device is that at the end of this little memory wipe he's supposed to be 92 million dollars plus richer. Imagine his surprise when he finds out he's forfeit the money, and instead mailed himself some apparently worthless junk. Oh, and the company that hired him is trying to kill him.
This is what a Sci Fi movie should be, relying on an interesting premise, with future predictions based on current technology. Sci Fi is not space with explosions every five minutes.
Although there are a few minor plot holes, I found the movie very engaging, and thought the acting was competent, to say the least. Those who enjoyed Minority Report might also like Paycheck. It's worth a look.
bck
The main plot of most amnesia types is trying to find out who they are and why someone erased their memory. With Paycheck, however, our protagonist already knows why his memory was erased, and since it's only been three years, he of course knows who he is.
The plot device is that at the end of this little memory wipe he's supposed to be 92 million dollars plus richer. Imagine his surprise when he finds out he's forfeit the money, and instead mailed himself some apparently worthless junk. Oh, and the company that hired him is trying to kill him.
This is what a Sci Fi movie should be, relying on an interesting premise, with future predictions based on current technology. Sci Fi is not space with explosions every five minutes.
Although there are a few minor plot holes, I found the movie very engaging, and thought the acting was competent, to say the least. Those who enjoyed Minority Report might also like Paycheck. It's worth a look.
bck
Philip 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.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaThis was Ben Affleck's biggest paycheck to date, earning him approximately $15 million. Whenever he's asked to why he starred in the film, he responds "The answer lies in the title".
- GoofsThe "checkpoint" from where Michael's memory was supposed to be erased after finishing his first job is shown in a monitor as him walking with the box under his arm. However, he wouldn't have this image in his brain, but instead one from his own point of view.
- Quotes
Michael Jennings: [quoting from a fortune cookie strip] If you only look where you can't go, you will miss the riches below.
- ConnectionsEdited into Paycheck: Deleted/Extended Scenes (2004)
- SoundtracksMinute Waltz in D Flat Major Op. 64 No. 1
by Frédéric Chopin
Performed by Lincoln Mayorga
Courtesy of Townhall Records
- How long is Paycheck?Powered by Alexa
- Is this film based on a novel?
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- El Pago
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- 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
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Paycheck - Die Abrechnung (2003) officially released in India in Hindi?
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