'

Paycheck

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2:25

Paycheck

PG-13

Released Dec 25, 2003

1h 59m

Sci-Fi

Action

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

27%

Tomatometer

153 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a top-notch reverse engineer. Corporations pay him to crack the secrets of their competitors' products. When the job is done, he has his memory of it erased. Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart), head of a company called Allcom, hires Jennings to reverse-engineer a secret government device. After the job, Jennings wakes from the memory erasure to find himself being chased by various agencies. He soon realizes that the fate of the entire world may be in his hands.

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Critics Consensus

Though Dick's short story has an intriguing premise, Woo reduces it to a lot of meaningless chases, shoot-outs, and explosions.

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Neil Norman

London Evening Standard

A rubbish script, terrible acting from all concerned -- including, I regret to say, Uma Thurman -- and Woo's action histrionics uneasily confined to science lab interiors, all conspire to produce a movie of utter redundancy.

Jan 11, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

This movie just sags, even in the action scenes.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 27, 2010

Full Review

Adam Smith

Empire Magazine

Some remedial script work is in need, and the characters are far from compelling. But the action is up to scratch and it rattles happily along.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...an overly slick and mostly mindless actioner...

Rated: 2.5/4

May 18, 2025

Full Review

Kathi Maio

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

Ben can't, however, make Paycheck into the good movie it might have been. That would have required a director more interested in ideas and less interested in things that go boom...

Feb 28, 2020

Full Review

John A. Nesbit

Old School Reviews

Woo's stylish touches fall flat in this forgettable project

Rated: C-

May 14, 2012

Full Review

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David D

How often have relentless reshoots destroyed the integrity of a film? You sit at the end of the run time counting all the loose ends from those scenes and items that start and go nowhere. In a film of this type, everything must be accounted for, and is. For that alone, its a refreshing watch. One last thing....where the hell does Ben get his white shirts? They never crease, sweat stain or get dirty....even after days.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/31/25

Full Review

Deepest Bluest Suede Darius Dick Stinger Apini Emanuel Grouch Nukem III AKA The Rumble AKA Jennyanyany McPoopface Bridgerton AKA The Count of Monte Fisto

CT5 Crashmore movie for everyone involved.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/11/25

Full Review

Grant B

I'm telling you. Young Ben Affleck as Batman would've ruled

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/23/24

Full Review

Graham H

Casting Ben Affleck as a regular guy works in his other films. As an intelligent techie in this one, no way. He's plastic and completely unbelievable here and that just spoils the whole thing as nearly every scene centers on his character. How can someone be paid millions to act remotely interested in Uma Thurman and somehow fail at that?

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/15/24

Full Review

Darlene S

Lots of action. Good plot. Great message. Watch who you subject tour mind to. It's a better movie than some of the mindless, substance less movies being made now in 2022-24.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/01/24

Full Review

Yash B

I think if you can take "Paycheck" for what it is, which is a goofy early 2000s sci-fi movie, there is fun to be had with it. The movie definitely feels a bit dated with its effects, but it moves quickly and has lots of action and entertaining moments. I actually wish the movie dived into some of the ideas it presented a bit deeper and didn't go in such a wild direction in the final act. Still, I think this is the type of movie that does take me back to a forgotten era and for that, I had some fun with it, despite how silly and overly serious it is at times. Overall, it is a movie with a genuinely interesting concept that ultimately ends up being an average action sci-fi movie, but I think it is an acceptable way to pass the time.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/19/24

Full Review

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John Woo

Director

Ben Affleck

Michael Jennings

Aaron Eckhart

Rethrick

Uma Thurman

Rachel Porter

Paul Giamatti

Shorty

Colm Feore

Mr. Wolf

Paycheck: Official Clip - Motorcycle Chase

2:06

Paycheck: Official Clip - Bus Station Chase

1:40

Paycheck: Official Clip - Laboratory Beatdown

2:59

Paycheck: Official Clip - I Sold My Shares?

2:24

Paycheck: Official Clip - Fight the Future

2:44

Paycheck: Official Clip - Train Tracks Confrontation

2:57

Paycheck: Official Clip - Mental Extraction

2:37

Paycheck: Official Clip - The Reverse-Engineer

2:22

Paycheck: Official Clip - Bus Station Shootout

2:46

Paycheck: Official Clip - Shipyard Chase

2:56

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Paycheck: Trailer 1

2:25

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Synopsis

Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a top-notch reverse engineer. Corporations pay him to crack the secrets of their competitors' products. When the job is done, he has his memory of it erased. Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart), head of a company called Allcom, hires Jennings to reverse-engineer a secret government device. After the job, Jennings wakes from the memory erasure to find himself being chased by various agencies. He soon realizes that the fate of the entire world may be in his hands.

Director: John Woo
Producer: John Woo, John Davis, Terence Chang, Michael Hackett
Screenwriter: Dean Georgaris
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: Solomon/Hackett Productions, Davis Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Frantic Films, Lion Rock Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action Violence|Brief Language)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $53.8M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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