Paycheck (Film Review)

2003 Paramount Pictures
Directed by: John Woo; Written: Dean Georgaris
Starring: Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti, Colm Feore, Joe Morton, and Michael C. Hall
MPAA Rating: PG-13; Running Time: 119 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 7/10

And you thought your job was bad. Every time Michael Jennings finishes a task, his employers erase his memory. That way, the reverse engineer will no longer remember his clients' intellectual property. In theory, this protects him, though it seems his employers are the greater beneficiaries. One day, Jennings takes on a job that looks to have a major payday. The catch? It will take up to three years of his life--three years he won't remember. Suddenly, Jennings wakes to find that the three years are over. For some reason, he has signed away his eight digit paycheck...and in its place is an envelope with ordinary everyday objects. Before Jennings can figure out what's going on, his employers are chasing him down and trying to kill him...and he is finding the random objects in his envelope bizarrely helpful...almost as if he left them to himself for a reason.
America did not deserve John Woo. This was his last American film. After 2003's Paycheck, Woo returned to Asia, taking his larger-than-life, over-the-top action pictures with him. Paycheck is adapted from a Philip K Dick story, a return to the high concept, sci-fi'ish territory of 1997's Face/Off. It also stars Ben Affleck, not exactly the 00's most beloved actor. While Affleck has since proven to be a good director and a solid actor, his 00's acting work is hit and miss, with Affleck often appearing smarmy and wooden. Here he's actually...okay. This Jennings character is a little bit of a cipher (don't expect the strong personalities of Face/Off, or Broken Arrow, or...Hard Target here), which actually suits early 00's Ben Affleck pretty nicely. At his side is Uma Thurman as a biologist, and apparently, Jennings' lover he can't remember. Thurman's character doesn't have any particularly memorable traits, but she infuses the film with a weird energy that works. What works the most here, though: Woo's action, camera movements, and supercharged, superfun pacing.

While Paycheck is PG-13, Woo gets all his trademarks in (how about another colon?): doves, Mexican standoffs, sparks due to gunshots flying everywhere, as well as sweet, delicious orange fireballs. No one quite captures that kinetic feeling like Woo, and while other elements here aren't nearly the best found in a Woo film, Woo himself is on the top of his game, with every footchase and shootout, and an amazing motorcycle chase all featuring that beautiful Woo energy. The story is also serviceable, Dick's yarn simplified into a "time-travel will destroy the world" tale that's easy to understand, and doesn't get in the way.

At the end of the day, you're either going to strap into Woo's silly, fun rollercoaster and enjoy Paycheck's goofy, airy vibes, or you're not. But c'mon, why wouldn't you? A guy spins out a motorcycle, which rifles rocks from its back tire into a pursuing car's windshield, causing that car to veer into a culvert and explode! Why wouldn't you?!?!

Come back, John Woo!