While the tautly paced Paycheck succeeds at keeping your attention, it offers nothing at all to think about or even remember once its two hours have run their course.
Comment
12/27/03
Paycheck (2003)
27
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:138
Fresh:37
Rotten:101
Average Rating:4.7/10
Consensus: Though Dick's short story has an intriguing premise, Woo reduces it to a lot of meaningless chases, shoot-outs, and explosions.
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
US Box Office: $53,681,119
Synopsis: Adapted from a mind-bending sci-fi thriller by Philip K. Dick, the slick and riveting PAYCHECK is directed by John Woo (THE KILLER, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II)--the king of artful gunfighting... [More]
Starring: Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti
Director: John Woo
Reviews for Paycheck
61 - 80 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Total Recall without the ambiguity and Fifty First Dates without the jokes. Now I’m referencing movies that aren’t even out yet, what’s wrong with me?
12/27/03
A light-weight and entertaining piece of sci-fi
12/27/03
Seems like yet another job for hire for the great filmmaker, but one with a strong enough story to sustain our interest for two hours.
12/27/03
Click to read the article
12/27/03
Top CriticThe strength of Paycheck is its story which, despite being infused with the trappings of a Hollywood action film, still hangs together.
12/27/03
It's all about getting a fat paycheck.
12/26/03
Without ever quite becoming boring, Paycheck seems to narrow into a routine pattern, and a plot that at first had nuance and the hint of a broader meaning degenerates into chases and standard action.
12/26/03
Dean Georgaris scripted Paycheck from a Philip K. Dick story, and John Woo turned it into the sort of film plastic that groans of metal fatigue.
12/26/03
Less exciting than it should have been.
12/26/03
You may not buy everything about this movie, but you'll likely leave it with a smile.
12/26/03
Dean Georgaris' script leans too much on Affleck going MacGyver at the exact right moment.
12/26/03
Affleck is just fine when he plays a regular guy, but whenever he tries to, like, act, he ends up looking like a perplexed and mildly retarded simian.
12/26/03
The film's greatest drawback was its director's lack of vision and understanding of the world of technology.
12/26/03
Ben Affleck stars in a mix of Hitchcock style and 21st century mind games that can't quite cash itself.
12/25/03
If a movie is going to flout, or at least bend, the laws of the universe, it at least ought to obey its own internal rules.
12/25/03
Top Critic[Woo] still has pretty much of a tin ear for American performances, so he lets Affleck doze through the starring role. The film feels as if it has no center.
12/25/03
Top CriticThough the premise is provocative enough, the execution feels like a host of other violent action-drenched movies.
12/25/03
Top CriticOnce Jennings starts McGuyvering his way out of trouble using items from his manila envelope of tricks, the story careens into a brain-dead end.
12/25/03
A bloated thriller that runs out of steam long before its final interminable chase.
12/25/03
Latest News for Paycheck
August 31, 2006:
A Taste of What's "Next" for Nicolas Cage
Any time I hear the phrase "movie based on a Philip K. Dick story," I know I have to do a little more research. The next PKD adaptation is Lee Tamahori's... More...
August 08, 2006:
Paul Giamatti to Star as Philip K. Dick
He night not be as famous as H.G. Wells or Isaac Asimov, but ask a sci-fi enthusiast what they think of Philip K. Dick, and get ready for a lengthy conversation. The late and... More...
November 08, 2005:
Nic Cage & Julianne Moore Will Do Sci-Fi Action Flick "Next"
Variety reports that Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore will star in Revolution's "Next," which is a sci-fi action project based on a story by genre giant Philip K. Dick. More...
July 08, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Head on over to the film's official site for your first look at the trailer to "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." The supernatural horror flick is directed by Scott... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Win Glee DVDs 
We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.
New Moon Portraits
TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.
Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi?
The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser
Win the entire 007 collection
Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection
IGN RSS Feeds