So what's it all about?
Michael Jennings (Affleck) is a reverse engineer who works on
classified projects and has his memories erased upon completion of each
assignment. He accepts a three year project with a 90 million dollar
paycheck. After completing the assignment and having his memory erased, he
discovers he had forfeited his check a few weeks earlier.
Suddenly he is arrested for treason and people are trying to murder
him. The only help he has is bag of seemingly insignificant trinkets he
mailed himself, and his girlfriend Rachel (Thurman), who he can't
remember.
Is it any good?
Paycheck is not only an intelligently written and absorbing mystery
story, but also a fast-paced action thriller. What makes the film so
intriguing is how Jennings' survival and the solution to the puzzle, all
revolves around the objects in the packet he mailed himself. The audience
is as mystified as Jennings about what is happening and, along with
Jennings, is taken on a journey of discovery as each objects' purpose is
found, and the mystery unravelled object by object.
Being a John Woo film, Paycheck also contains great action with superb
special effects. There's an ambush in a subway station, a fast paced car
chase with an original finale in a construction yard, and an innovative
fight scene in the hydroponics garden using climate control and robotic
equipment.
Score: 4/5
How about those special features?
Paycheck's extra features are well worth watching. There's an
interesting "making of" featurette, which includes interviews with Affleck,
Thurman and director John Woo. This is followed by a section on stunts,
with separate features for the car chase, subway and hydroponic stunts.
Next up are six deleted/extended scenes, which really should have been
included because they add a lot of explanatory information about the
Jennings character. Lastly there's an alternate ending, which ties up
nicely with the boy that steals the ring.
Paycheck offers the standard subtitles feature as well as commentary
by Woo or screenwriter Dean Georgaris.
Score: 4/5
Best part:
The car chase in the construction yard.
Best quote:
"If you show someone their future, they have no future. If you take
away mystery, you take away hope"
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Paycheck