Ben Affleck, who fits the action hero model as well as a proverbial square peg in a round hole, plays Michael Jennings, an engineer who routinely performs top-secret jobs for his billionaire boss, Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart). Once the job is complete, Michael allows his memory to be wiped. Usually, only a month or two are lost, but this time Rethrick is offering Michael a huge paycheck in exchange for three years of his life. Everything seems to go smoothly, except that, when Michael tries to access the money, he finds it's not there, and suddenly his life is in jeopardy. And, with exception of a biologist named Rachel (Uma Thurman), with whom he had a relationship during the wiped three years, he seems to have few allies.
Movies based on Philip K. Dick short stories have an uneven history, and even the best of them tend to depart significantly from their written inspirations (Minority Report, Blade Runner). Paycheck is easily the worst motion picture to bear Dick's name in any capacity. The screenplay has apparently been written with lobotomized teenagers in mind. Rarely does a character react to any situation intelligently. The plot is a mess of contrivances that will strain the credulity of even the most blas� of viewers. Suspension of disbelief is virtually impossible. Villains and heroes alike can be counted on to do the most idiotic thing in nearly every situation. And there aren't even any good action scenes to redeem this mess. On those rare occasions when the film shifts into high gear, it's for generic car chases and shootouts.
The fact that the story uses amnesia as a plot device will immediately bring to mind last year's The Bourne Identity, but there's really no comparison. The Bourne Identity may have contained its share of plot holes, but they were largely invisible until the movie was examined after the end credits rolled. In Paycheck, they are instantly evident, creating the kind of frustration that comes from watching a movie that views its audience as a bunch of witless zombies. This is a bad film, complete with lackluster acting, brainless writing, and uninspired direction. A lump of coal is preferable.