THE BLACK SHEEP is an ongoing column featuring different takes on films that either the writer HATED, but that the majority of film fans LOVED, or that the writer LOVED, but that most others LOATH. We’re hoping this column will promote constructive and geek fueled discussion. Dig in!
Paycheck (2003)
Directed by John Woo
“Paycheck may not be Total Recall or Blade Runner but it’s a pretty damn good sci-fi action flick when such a thing rarely exist anymore.”
I heart science fiction. I’ve always found it to be the one genre that no matter the production quality, cast or director, if the story was good than the film would be at the very least interesting. Of course, some authors can tell a better story than others, and Philip K. Dick is one of ‘em. Dude loves the idea of searching for identity, whether a person’s own or within the confines of the brain. It’s what he seemed to do best. Anyone who has seen Blade Runner knows that concept is his own giant gerbil wheelhouse. And nobody can get near it. However, it’s not to say Dick’s movies of always been great. Sure, there’s Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, but there’s a hell of a lot of bombs too. Notably, Paycheck gets glue-sticked in with the crap. And it don’t deserve it.
Directed by the dove-loving, two-pistol-shooting John Woo, Paycheck has earned a bad rap for being overblown and overdone. But with a lot of things like whiskey, wine, and women, some things get (or seem) better with time. Paycheck today doesn’t seem nearly as bloated as when I first saw it. In fact, it makes me miss the days of the big, smart, summer sci-fi blockbuster. They don’t happen that often anymore. Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Inception. It brought back the genre and improved the hell out of it. But not everyone is Chris Nolan. And not everything can be Inception. Paycheck may not be on that level, but it’s an interesting and thought provoking (somewhat) ride. And it’s not nearly as bad as what you think.
Perhaps a major reason for Paycheck’s stink-ass status comes from everyone’s current comeback boy Ben Affleck. For anyone who somehow can’t remember, at one time Affleck was the it boy in Hollywood. Then came one shitfest after another. In the middle of that streak came Paycheck. Of course, I can’t exactly say that I wasn’t one of the Affleck bashers. I always thought he was pretty crummy in anything where he had to exude anymore personality than a Ventriloquist’s dummy. He reminds me a little bit of Clint Eastwood. If he doesn’t have to say much or smile, he works in the role. But as soon as dude shows emotion or personality, no one buys it. This is why him being a standard Hollywood action star failed. If he had taken the Eastwood approach (like he did in The Town), he might had been more successful. Anyway, for some reason his action and his over/under acting doesn’t bother me in Paycheck where he plays Michael Jennings, a genius whose hired by high-tech firms to work on big projects but then has to have his memory erased so he cannot breach security. Affleck’s game in the role, wanting to be as entertaining as possible. He might still annoy me at times but is still manages to charm and sparkle in the leading role.
Another reason why people might not dig Paycheck comes via the director. Since Woo first unloaded a few thousand clips onto Hollywood, he went from being the most interesting and inventive action director in town to a clichéd hack who could do nothing more this then use slow-motion and really cheesy music. Say what you want about him, but the guy is one of the few big-budget action directors who actually attempts to create a character around all the chaos and bullets. Okay…so maybe his crap is a little cheesy at times and a little heavily sentimental, but he’s trying to do something besides snap a couple of elbows. Cut him some slack.
One of my favorite action movies has always been Face-Off. It’s a fine action movie with the hell a lot of good sequences. Paycheck can keep pace with it. The motorcycle sequence is just as good as anything in recent years. And how can’t you like Affleck beating up a lot of folks while wondering what’s real and what’s fiction. And sometimes that’s not as easy things when it seems. Beyond the action, Paycheck boasts an impressive cast. Affleck, Uma Thurman, Aaron Eckhart, Michael C. Hall, Paul Giamatti. All bring it without making me think they just needed a new boat.
Paycheck may not be Total Recall or Blade Runner but it’s a pretty damn good sci-fi action flick when such a thing rarely exists anymore.
Disagree? Buy the DVD and discover for yourself.