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Paycheck | 2003 | PG-13 | - 4.5.4
An electronics whiz (Ben Affleck) is able to copy any technology and improve upon it. The only hitch is that after each project he must erase his memory so that he will not be a liability to the company that used his skills. But his latest job gets him into trouble with the feds, causing him to wonder what exactly the outcome of his efforts was. Also with John Davis, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman and Paul Giamatti. Directed by John Woo. [1:50]
SEX/NUDITY 4 - A man kisses a woman's chest, her dress is open and we see cleavage and the top of her bra. A man and a woman kiss in several scenes. A woman touches a man's hand, a man and a woman hug a few times, and a man and a woman flirt in several scenes. A woman wears a short top and skirt that reveal her bare abdomen and bare thighs and she appears to be propositioning men as they walk by. A woman wears a low-cut dress that reveals cleavage. We see a woman's form digitally reproduced (outlines and grids, no detail), we then see the same woman wearing a low-cut dress that reveals cleavage and bare shoulders.
VIOLENCE/GORE 5 - A man is shot, falls on train tracks and is electrocuted, and another man is sprayed by sparks when the electric rail is touched. A man is shot in the chest and he falls and crashes onto a glass roofed structure (we see blood on and around his mouth). What looks like a charred and smoldering body lays across a metal framework. A man is blown through the air by flames after an explosion that sets off many other explosions. A man sees himself being shot in the chest and falling off a catwalk several times. A man shoots at a man in a crowded train terminal, another man shoots at him, a man tackles one of the gunmen and they fight, other men shoot back and forth, and another man fights with punches and shoving (one man is thrown through a window that breaks). A man is chased by a man with a gun, and he blows flames (using a hairspray and a lighter) in the gunman's face as he runs around a corner, and the gunman falls to the ground and shoots another man (we see a bloody hole in the man's shoulder). A man throws another man through a window breaking it, and people shoot back and forth. Two men fight with punches, a woman hits a man with a wrench (he fires his gun at the floor which knocks him back), and a woman throws a wrench at a man. Two men hold guns on a man and an explosion sends people through the air. A man is hit in the back with a stick, and a man beats several other men with a stick (a few shoot at him). A man and a woman dangle from plastic sheeting and are tossed around during explosions, the sheeting gives way and they fall to the ground. Two men fight, they wrestle on the ground, one wraps cabling around the other's neck, one hits the other in the head with a canister, and one lifts the other up by the neck with the cabling attached to a lift vehicle, and then drops him on a catwalk. A woman is shot at as she runs. A man and a woman ride a motorcycle through a window breaking it, they race while being chased and shot at by people in several cars, they swerve through one-way traffic, two cars try to squeeze the motorcycle between them, and two cars charge at them head on; one car is hit hard by a truck, a car and a motorcycle ride directly toward each other, and the motorcycle swerves at the last minute, while the car crashes into a large drain pipe and another car crashes into a tractor (they both burst into flames). A motorcycle is chased by police cars and a helicopter, one car follows the motorcycle into a tunnel, sparks fly as the sides rub against the walls of the tunnel, a pole tears the roof of the car off, and a woman throws her helmet into the car hitting the driver on the head and knocking him out. A man holds a gun on a man who hits another man with a bat, then the man with the bat is tasered (he jerks and falls to the floor). A man aims a gun at a man, a woman hits a woman with her bag knocking her to the floor, and the man with the gun shoots into a crowded restaurant and then speeds away in a car. A man runs in front of a speeding train, he falls on the tracks in front of it and is nearly run over. Two men hold guns on each other. A man shoves a man, punches two men and is chased by several men, and the man is nearly hit by two buses. A man pulls another man by the ankles causing him to fall and hit his head on a cement floor. A man is injected in the arm with a large needle, he winces and appears dizzy. A man is strapped into a chair for a "memory extraction" procedure and he shakes and jerks. A woman has a bloody hand and blood smears on a window when she touches it. On a computer screen a laser attacks a man's brain cells (when the laser is fired the unconscious man winces and jerks. We see a photograph of a dead man with a puddle of blood around his head and we hear that he fell from a tall building (we see and hear this several times). A boy shoves people as he runs through a crowded bus, and a man chases him onto the street. A man works out with a long stick, using it to hit poles that light up intermittently -- he hits them hard and yells. We see a nuclear explosion and the shockwave wipes out buildings leaving rubble and dust.
LANGUAGE 4 - 5 scatological terms, 4 mild obscenities, 7 religious exclamations.
SUBSTANCE USE - People are shown drinking alcohol and smoking.
DISCUSSION TOPICS - Technology, memory, fate, treason, time travel, disappointment, money, happiness, love, friendship, second chances, war, plagues, seeing the future, computer viruses.
MESSAGE - We are the sum of our experiences.
CAVEATS
Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements.
We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits.
Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.
Memoir of a Snail - 6.6.4
The Apprentice - 8.5.9
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Hitpig - 1.3.2
Venom: The Last Dance - 2.6.5
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We are a totally independent website with no connections to political, religious or other groups & we neither solicit nor choose advertisers. You can help us keep our independence with a donation.
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We welcome suggestions & criticisms -- and we will accept compliments too. While we read all emails & try to reply we do not always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address.