DVD review by John Larkin
PAYCHECK on DVD can be purchased on MovieZyng.com by clicking the image above.
John Woo’s PAYCHECK (2003) is a fun, action-packed sci-fi thriller that, while not his best work, still offers an entertaining ride with an intriguing premise and a great cast. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, the film takes a great concept—about a man who erases his memory to protect sensitive information—and turns it into more of a straight-up shoot 'em up action movie. The original story digs into some deep sci-fi ideas, but Woo’s version leans heavily on chases, shootouts, and big action scenes, which is more his style.
Ben Affleck plays Michael Jennings, a reverse engineer who has his memory wiped after completing top-secret jobs. When a big assignment leaves him without any recollection of the past three years, he’s left with just an envelope of random objects that somehow hold the key to figuring everything out. As he tries to piece things together, he’s hunted by some powerful people who want him dead. The movie has a solid cast, including Uma Thurman, Aaron Eckhart, Paul Giamatti, and Colm Feore, who all do a good job of making the story work.
John Woo, known for stylish action movies like THE KILLER (1989) and FACE/OFF (1997), originally wanted PAYCHECK to be more of a Hitchcock-style thriller. But as he later admitted, the final product didn’t really match his vision. He said, “I was fine with the sci-fi in PAYCHECK because there wasn't too much. I had intended to make an Alfred Hitchcock-style movie out of it, something more about suspense and thrills than guns and shooting, but unfortunately the script wasn't written that way. It didn't work well for the suspense, and it didn't come out the way I wanted it to be, not as Hitchcockian. But at least it was nice working with Ben Affleck.” It’s clear that Woo wasn’t completely happy with how it turned out, and you can see why—while the film has some tension, it’s mostly an action movie rather than a slow-burn thriller.
Even though it’s not Woo’s best, PAYCHECK is still a fun ride, especially if you’re into fast-paced sci-fi thrillers. The central mystery—how those random objects Jennings has actually help him survive—keeps things interesting, and Woo’s action scenes are still exciting. It may not be the Hitchcockian suspense film Woo wanted, but it’s still an entertaining mix of sci-fi and action. If you’re a fan of Woo’s work, there’s enough of his signature style here to make it worth a watch, even if it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential.
Comments