"It's a long way from the Hong Kong highlights of The Killer and Hard Boiled, but Affleck does his decent, square-jawed hero schtick, Paul Giamatti gives a good cameo and Eckhart is his ever-excellent self as the big business bad guy." Nev Pierce BBCi FILMS "Thank goodness Woo can still direct an action sequence like a master. He mixes up angles, film speeds, and motion with enough creativity and surprise to fill three Bad Boys sequels, providing one satisfying motorcycle chase scene that’s even a little frightening. Through his hodgepodge of Hong Kong style melodrama (especially John Powell’s hokey music) and Hitchcockian references, Woo still knows that his strong suit is action, action, action – that knowledge saves the film from diving into boring obscurity." Norm Schrager FILMCRITIC.COM "A pleasant enough diversion." Scott Nash THREE MOVIE BUFFS "One of those thoroughly entertaining flicks that is easily forgotten." Bruce Kirkland JAM! MOVIES "If you're looking for a fun alternative to the heavy-drama Oscar contenders and you like sci-fi action thrillers, Paycheck will fill the bill." Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone THEMOVIECHICKS

"These are some good old-fashioned plot devices here: the innocent man on the run, the guy with no memory, the man who wants to change the future, and so on. Affleck carries the film well enough, helped considerably by Uma Thurman as his girlfriend, in whose hands something ordinary like a wrench or a motorcycle helmet can be used to great effect." Eric D Snider ERICDSNIDER.COM ""Paycheck's" no breakthrough, but it's the tightest John Woo movie since his Hong Kong heyday - and maybe he'll take the hint that he doesn't have to try so hard next time around." Gene Seymour NEWSDAY "Visually, Woo plays the near future like another installment of the M.I. series — lots of explosions and gunplay, but none of the bleak landscapes of previous Dick adaptations such as Minority Report or Blade Runner." John Strickland LA WEEKLY "...Paycheck is a fun action/adventure. The mystery keeps you intrigued to find out what item he will use next, and what piece of his past he’ll find. It’s not predictable in that aspect. There are some good action scenes, and plenty of more subtle suspense moments, like who can he talk to, who can he trust? It’s a mix of John Woo’s wild action sensibilities and a more subtle approach to suspense filmmaking." Fred Topel ABOUT.COM

At A Glance

"You may not buy everything about this movie, but you'll likely leave it with a smile." Bob Townsend ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

It's no secret that director John Woo is a big fan of sci-fi author Philip K Dick and that "Paycheck" is not the first of his works ro make it to the big screen. The imaginative and creative Dick, who passed away in 1982, was a prolific writer and between 1952 and his passing away wrote 30 novels and 1000 short stories. The idea of memory manipulation and how misused technology can wreak havoc in Dick's short story "Paycheck" enticed John Woo to bring the story to the screen. "I'm a big fan of Phillip K Dick, and I especially like the provocative moral issues he raises in Paycheck", says Woo. "His heroes are very human, very grounded in reality, not superhuman like in a lot of science fiction." One thing he appreciated was the author's protagonist Michael Jennings , "A complex man who is drawn into an ethical dilema, recognizes the tragic concequences of his actions and, despite the danger, takes heroic action." The role of Jennings went to actor Ben Affleck who joined the cast for two reasons. The first was an opportunity to work with John Woo. The second was the exciting adaptation of Dick's 1953 short story by screenwriter Dean Georgaris which really appealed to Affleck.
"The script, was extremely smart, interestingly complicated and very well written," Ben Affleck says. "When you combine hi-concept science fiction source material from Philip K Dick, whose work has already proven to work well on the screen, with a master of the visual medium like John Woo directing, you have the making of something extraordinary." Affleck says the story also poses many highly moral questions. Like, "What actually makes up a life well-lived", and "Is it really important to remember the small details in life?" Then there is the worrying thought of control. "If we could learn how to control our future, then what would be the point of trying to change anything," he muses.
His onscreen nemesis is billionaire entrepreneur Jimmy Rethrick played by Aaron Eckhart. Many critics have noted that there is not enough menace or outward evil in Eckharts onscreen character. Perhaps they should have consulted producer Terence Chang before making those statements. Tang likens Retherick to Woo's previous villians whom he desciribes as "ordinary guys who are not overtly evil". Chang notes that they tapped Eckhart for the role. "He's got just the right charisma and the unique ability to play a tortured good soul that has been turned evil," Chang said. And while "Paycheck" is futuristic, there's still time for romance. Romance in "Paycheck" comes in the shape of that delicious dish Uma Thurman, last seen on the screen in "Kill Bill: Vol. 1". It has been reported that John Woo strengthened her role as Rachel Porter as "a key player and the catalyst behind Jenning's ethical change." How important a change for her character was it? Thurman explained that love plays a huge part in the film. Woo took the time to explain to her by saying "it was the most important part of the movie to him, the idea that love can change your fate," recalls Thurman.
Paul Giamatti plays Shorty, Jennings only friend and his professional manager. "Shorty is sort of the motherly, sensitive, concerned type," says Giamatti. "He represents reality to Jenning's and, in essence is the man's main link to the past, as well as his anchor in the future."
Like all John Woo movies there's plenty of action, as bad guy Colm Feore explains. "Wolf and the government agents who go after Jennings take the spotlight in the action/chase sequences, and I have to tell you, it was really something to be in a Woo action sequence," he says. "I mean his action scenes are like ballet. They're heart-stopping." Cast & Crew Bytes "Paycheck" was directed by John Woo ["The Young Dragons", "Windtalkers", "Bulletproof Monk", "Broken Arrow" and "MI2"], produced by Michael Hackett, John Woo, Terence Chang ["Everlasting Love", "Dragon Force", "Spy Games" and "The Replacement Killers"] and John Davis ["Behind Enemy Lines", Dr Doolittle 2", "The Firm" and "Grumpy Old Men"] from the screenplay by Dean Georgaris ["Tristan and Isolde"]. The film was edited by Kevin Stitt A.C.E ["Payback", "A Knights Tale", "Drop Zone" and "X-Men"] and Christopher Rouse ["The Bourne Identity" and "The Italian Job"] with Cinematography under the direction of Jeffrey L Kimball ASC ["True Romance", "Stigmata", "Windtalkers" and the soon to be released "The Big Bounce"] and adapted from the 1953 short story by Philip K Dick ["Blade Runner", "Total Recall" and "Minority Report"].
"Paycheck" stars 1998 Academy Award & Golden Globe winning script writer Ben Affleck ["Armageddon", "Changing Lanes", "The Sum Of All Fears" and "Daredevil"], Aaron Eckhart ["Nurse Betty", "Erin Brockovich", "The Core" and "The Missing"], Uma Thurman ["The Golden Bowl", "Tape" and "Kill Bill Volume 1"], Colm Feore ["Pearl Harbor", "The Sum Of All Fears" and "Chicago"], Joe Morton ["Lone Star", "Speed", "The Astronaut's Wife" and "Ali"], Michael C Hall ["Six Feet Under"], and Paul Giamatti ["Private Parts", "Confidence", "Big Fat Liar" and "American Splendor"] as Shorty. The Story

"An intelligent sci-fi thriller that's intriguing and exhilarating." Steve Rhodes STEVE RHODES' INTERNET REVIEWS

Michael Jennings is a hi-tech wizard who can fix anything. His services are in demand especially for companies who not only want their products up and running but also want their secrecy guaranteed. Michael Jennings can fix that too. That's because when each job is finished, his memory is wiped clean. All that's left is for him to collect his paycheck. Then business aquaintance James Rethrick offers him a super job working on his latest project. The pay is right, $92 million, but Jennings has never given away three years of his life, he is a little reluctant but finally accepts Allcoms offer. In the blink of an eye three years are wiped away and Jennings is about to pickup his paycheck. Trouble is the bank says he forfeited his payment. They hand him an envelope, supposedly the one Michaels personal belongings were placed in before he undertook working on Allcoms project. But the items are unfamiliar. He protests they are not his original items. Michael Jennings is about to find out that each item is a clue to his future. Each piece holds the key to his survival. The Verdict "Suspend belief, settle back and go along for a hi-tech roller coaster ride. This is not a film for those who can't indulge the fanciful, in fact those who try to put a reality check on "Paycheck" will, I am sure see it as a bit of a dud. On the other hand, those who like a futuristic experience, enjoy the excitment of a good chase and don't give a bugga if the plot has a few holes in it will find this reasonably good fare. Paycheck is pure escapism with a fair bit of panache. Certainly worth going along with for the two-wheeled ride." The Cast

Ben Affleck Aaron Eckhart Uma Thurman Paul Giamatti Colm Feore Joe Morton Michael C Hall Peter Friedman Kathryn Morris Ivana Milicevic Christopher Kennedy Fulvio Cecere John Cassini Callum Keith Rennie Michelle Harrison Claudette Mink Ryan Zwick Deejay Jackson Serge Houde Calvin Finlayson

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Michael Jennings James Rethrick Rachel Porter Shorty Wolfe Agent Dodge Agent Klein Attorney General Brown Rita Dunne Maya-Rachel Stevens Agent Furman Agent Mitchell Jude Jane Sara Rethrick Street Kid Guard Dekker Balloon Boy

The Crew Directed by John Woo Adapted from the 1953 short story "Paycheck" by Phillip K Dick Screenplay by Dean Georgaris Produced by Terence Chang/John Davis/Michael Hackett & John Woo Original Music by John Powell/James McKee Smith & John Ashton Thomas Cinematography by Larry Blanford and Jeffrey L Kimball Film Editing by Christopher Rouse and Kevin Stitt Casting by Mindy Marin and Coreen Mayrs Production Design by William Sandell Art Direction by Sandy Cochrane Costume Design by Erica Edell Phillips Run Time 120 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2004 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved