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Movie:		5.0
Picture:		8.0
Sound:		7.0
Extras:		6.0
Score:		6.0

Director(s):	John Woo
Writer(s):	Dean Georgaris (screenplay), Philip K. Dick (novel)
Starring:	Aaron Eckhart • Ben Affleck • Colm Feore • Michael C. Hall • Paul Giamatti • Uma Thurman • Joe Morton
Genre:	Action • Drama • Sci-Fi
Website:	http://www.paycheckmovie.com/
Release Date:	May 19, 2009
Rated:

List Price:	Blu-ray - $19.99
Amazon:

Philip K. Dick has an impressive legacy in both science-fiction literature and film. To this day Blade Runner receives mention as one the best sci-fi films of all time, and then when you account for Total Recall and Minority Report – the man is a sci-fi writing god. Unfortunately, the sum of a man’s success can’t be divined without taking into account some of his clunkers. And there do seem to be quite a few, though it’s no real fault of his own. Impostor, Next, Paycheck and A Scanner Darkly put Philip K. Dick on the map in ways less than flattering. Among those, Paycheck may be the most mixed in terms of quality. While Impostor and Next are just awful in every respect and A Scanner Darkly is trippy as hell, Paycheck took John Woo, a legendary action director, and combined his efforts with those of Dean Georgaris whose only screenplay credit at the time was Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.

Why was John Woo recruited to direct a film whose primary composition is a character running back and forth solving mysteries with only an occasional action beat thrown in? That’s a hideous waste of a brilliant action director. Two scenes take advantage of Woo’s prowess (a car chase and the final fight number) but beyond that it’s a premise better fitted for a dramatic director. What does fit the Paycheck scale are the performances of Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman as two science-minded folk on the run from a treacherous corporation. Paycheck requires very little of Affleck’s acting abilities beyond looking concerned, then confused and then surprised – emotions separated by a mere twitch of the eyebrows. Uma Thurman has similar thespian hurdles before her as she seldom strays outside an emotional variant of expositional inquiry. “So you left Item A so you would know to perform Action X?” Wowzas.

Michael Jennings (Affleck) just may be the ultimate freelancer. After every engineering assignment he has his memory wiped clean for industrial security purposes. The concept has many similarities to Total Recall, but instead of forgetting a past life in order to move on, his technician friend Shorty (Paul Giamatti) performs the procedure as a buffer between assignments. Consequently his life becomes a string of highlights with no professional memories to speak of. Then along comes Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart) who entices Michael with a job that could last three years, which would imply a rather hefty chunk of his memory would go missing afterwards. Unable to turn down the incredible paycheck he’s offered, Michael signs on. The day the project begins he turns over all his possessions and embarks – only to “awaken” three years later with no recollection of the work and experiences of the last three years. The day after leaving his job with Rethrick, Michael finds the possessions he checked in to have gone missing and his $90 million paycheck to be null and void. Using the clues he left for himself in an envelope, Michael must figure out what it was he worked on, why he forsook his mammoth of a paycheck and why agents from the company he just worked for want him dead.

The entire premise of the story would argue the value of memory – until the ending, which appraises its approximate value to be about $90 million. Paycheck’s concept of memory and how it works doesn’t actually follow any known rules about the brain, safely infusing the science with the fiction. Stretching the concept of memory to paper thin levels, the film almost seems to be beating its chest defying someone to point out all of its foibles – it’s not hard to do. Another interesting theme of the film (also examined in Dick’s Next) is “knowing the future changes it”. At its deepest level it demands a philosophical discussion of free will and forewarning, but at the depth of Paycheck the idea is mentioned and then thrown away in a convenient point. It’s almost maddening to see the major points of Dick’s work thrown away in favor of cheap thrills and some explosions, but I guess that’s Hollywood’s game. However, considering the best adaptations of Dick’s work give his themes proper dues, you’d like to think the movie-machine would realize his stories work best when the message is fully fleshed out.

Blu-ray Bonus Features

We have two audio commentaries, only one of which holds any real weight. Both director John Woo and writer Dean Georgaris recorded separate commentaries leaving us to wonder why they didn’t do one together. As they are, Woo’s commentary, stilted English and all, holds value as you get to hear his influences and rationale behind the takes. After that, beyond some deleted or extra scenes, there are two production featurettes where set design and stunt choreography are discussed. Skip the former, but watch the latter – this is a “John Woo film” after all. If there’s anything that man does right it’s action – and it makes the featurette that much better.