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

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 18, 2025

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...

Full Review | Feb 28, 2020

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.

Full Review | Jan 11, 2018

Woo's stylish touches fall flat in this forgettable project

Full Review | Original Score: C- | May 14, 2012

This movie just sags, even in the action scenes.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 27, 2010

It's not necessarily high brow sci-fi, but it is very accessible to the mainstream eye.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 9, 2010

Paycheck takes two hours to watch and two minutes to forget.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | May 18, 2009

Playful but inconsequential...the interpretation of Dick's intriguing concept is a street which mostly just dead-ends into noisy silliness. [Blu-ray]

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 17, 2009

"Paycheck" is a no-brainer action movie with just enough sci-fi thematic input to keep it spicy.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | May 11, 2009

Most of it is very predictable and so obvious and instantly draws us away from the characters because everything here feels very artificial and very staged.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Apr 29, 2009

For those who enjoy a ripper of a good yarn, Paycheck is good value.

Full Review | Oct 18, 2008

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.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 1, 2006

There's a sense of treading water about this movie.

Full Review | Feb 9, 2006

It's nice to know that there's a director out there who still knows how to use marquee stars and to blow stuff up real good, without resorting to CGI fakery.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 6, 2005

A mildly entertaining slice of science fiction that's anchored by some top-notch action.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 5, 2005

The film discards serious discussion for Mexican standoffs and action scenes, trading the possibility of complex rewards for simple pleasures.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Apr 14, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 14, 2005

This could have been a terrific movie. Unfortunately, Paramount and Director John Woo (who was responsible for the lamentable Windtalkers), ruined it by prolific special effects.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Oct 7, 2004

There is enough left of the original idea in the movie to recommend it, just barely.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Aug 23, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: D | Aug 7, 2004