Ben Affleck regains some of his square-jaw charm after the disastrous “Gigli” in this entertaining but bland sci-fi action thriller by John Woo, the Sam Peckinpah of Hong Kong.
Affleck plays Michael Jennings, a computer engineer who sells himself to a high-tech corporation for 90 million dollars in a 3-year project that leaves him with a wiped memory, no paycheck, and an envelope of items to save himself and his girlfriend Rachel (Uma Thurman) from the murderous corporation.
This extended chase movie has lots of shattering glass, smashing cars and speeding motorcycles that lead up to a doomsday device which must be destroyed by our dauntless hero.
Loosely based on a short story by Philip K. Dick (“Minority Report”), “Paycheck” is a no-brainer action movie with just enough sci-fi thematic input to keep it spicy.
Rated PG-13. 110 mins.
