Mutant Reviewers from Hell do
"Michael Jennings is not a super agent, he's an engineer."

2003 PG-13 / Scifi Action Directed by: John Woo Starring: Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman

Tagline

Remember the future.

Summary Capsule

In the future, software engineers are rendered more dumb by design, and doves fly everywhere!

Mutant Meter

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Justin's Rating: From Hard Boiled to this... Johnny Johnny Woo, where are you?
Justin's Review: Don't... don't even get me started on the obvious pun that could be made between this movie's title and Ben Affleck's presence. I'm sure a thousand newspapers world-over have covered me on that. What concerns me much more, like those three little bugs that burrowed under the skin in my hand and haven't made a peep in about two weeks, is the why of this film.

"Sometimes I can like Ben, sometimes I wish a rabid weasel would make a nest in his innards, but here I simply don't care about him."

As in, Why was Paycheck even made?

It's not a horrible movie, or even a bad one. It's a solid "C" student, cutting a couple classes and chalking up a paltry resume filled with McDonald's as a work reference. It's just that there's no earthly reason why Paycheck needed to be made, because it's all been done before. And then some.

I have a hard time liking movies that are pretty much photocopies of other films without anything new inked in the margins to really set it apart. Please point out to me where Paycheck is any different:

Based on another mutilated Philip K. Dick short story (Blade Runner), here we have the quaint futuristic tale of Michael (Affleck), a reverse engineer (!) who works on top secret hoojoo in seclusion, then gets his memory wiped (in an extremely similar tone to Johnny Mnemonic, which no film should want to identify itself with) at the end of each project to get his paycheck. When a multiple-year project arises, Mikey naively trusts the huge heartless corporation to take care of him, but things don't work out so well. He awakes after three years with no memories, no paycheck, and a lot of ticked-off people gunning for him (because the amnesiac guy unraveling a mystery hasn't been done to death). Apparently, he's been working on some sort of futuristic prediction machine (no, no, certainly nothing similar to Minority Report) and has to use the clues he left for himself to bring down a huge conspiracy.

Yeah, so during the entire movie, my brain keeps shouting at me, "FOOL! This is Total Recall done with fewer muscles, less gore and less mutants! Why are you watching it?"

It really is mostly Total Recall and Minority Report on a lesser budget, and that's doing no one any favors. Neither is Affleck, who resorts to his two main acting expressions: furrowed-brow confusion, and wide-face upset shouting. Sometimes I can like Ben, sometimes I wish a rabid weasel would make a nest in his innards, but here I simply don't care about him. He's a bland protagonist meekly following the bread crumbs of a mystery that will be spoon-fed to the audience instead of challenging them to figure it out on their own.

After just seeing Suspect Zero the other day, I'm yet again treated to the off-key visage of Aaron Eckhart, who constantly makes me think he's Sean William Scott's father with a more creepy grin.

Directed by John Woo, who's been misfiring all over the place since quitting the traditional Hong Kong double-fisted pistol action fests, Paycheck is just that. Money spent for time spent — only we're paying Hollywood to show us something we've already watched before.

Ben Affleck, late for his shoot on Pearl Harbor II: Pearlageddon I strongly suspect in this scene they just filmed Ben as he woke up in the morning Forehead tanning! The latest rage in 2056!

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• The doves! The Mexican standoff! Woo!
• In the apparently random sequence of numbers and letters shown at the beginning are included cast/credits and all the items from Jennings's envelope.
• The 20 items that Jennings sent to himself are: sunglasses, pack of cigarettes, bus pass, diamond ring, paperclip, fortune from a cookie, janitor's key, lighter, hairspray, matchbook, Allcom pass, BMW key, looking glass, stamp, ball bearings, allen wrench, half dollar, cross word puzzle, bullet, and a watch.

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

No.

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

Ben Affleck's character was supposed to be a New York Mets fan (or Yankees - sources differ), but Affleck, a Boston Red Sox fan, persuaded director John Woo to change the team to the Red Sox.

In the original story ("Paycheck" by Philip K. Dick) Jennings sends to himself very different items and there were only 7 of them. They were: A code key. A ticket stub. A parcel receipt. A length of fine wire. Half a poker chip, broken across. A green strip of cloth. A bus token.

Groovy Quotes

Jennings: If you love me, if you care about me, go. Have a good life. Remember me.

Rethrick: Michael Jennings is not a super agent, he's an engineer.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Total Recall
• Minority Report
• Enemy of the State