Everybody's a critic - 'Paycheck'

One star (out of four)

"Paycheck" is a cleverly conceived plot thick with suspense and action. While the futuristic, time travel storyline tends toward the formulaic, it has enough twists to keep it interesting, if you like this type of a film.

In keeping with current events, the villain in this picture is a greedy, power-mongering, two-faced corporate CEO. While there is considerable violence, this is not a gratuitous blood-and-guts film.

Though pleasing to the eye, Affleck's performance as a leading man falls short. His acting was often stiff and superficial and the romantic subplot with Uma Thurman unconvincing.

Director John Woo is famous for action sequences with destruction and showers of gunfire. Woo has an in-your-face style of direction that accentuates the cheesy script, music and the fact that the whole plot is basically inconceivable. Use this as your opportunity to see into the future and don't bother seeing "Paycheck."

- Rhonda Zacharias, consultant

Four stars (out of four)

I really enjoyed this movie. The plot was a very original and creative one.

The movie tackled the issue of our future. In the movie a computer company becomes obsessed with looking into the future, yet that may not be the best thing to do.

The entire cast did a wonderful job. Aaron Eckert did a great job at being a villain, and Ben Affleck was a good "everyman's hero." He was an engineer who fell into trouble with the computer company yet he overcomes the odds.

All of the stunts were well done. There were no moments when I thought, "Oh, that looked really fake." Also, Uma Thurman was excellent in this movie. She had a challenging role where she had to display a lot of extreme emotion and she pulled it off beautifully.

The cast was great, the plot was great, the stunts were great, the movie was great. The first thing I said when the credits flashed up was, "When does the DVD come out?"

- Tyler Tankersley, high school student

Two stars (out of four)

I went to this movie expecting to be bored with the same old story, but ended up being more entertained than I thought. Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman have good onscreen chemistry, and they manage to keep the story moving even during the too-long action scenes.

The premise is simple: A man whose memory has been erased is trying to find out why his memory was erased, and why so many people are trying to kill him. Add a romance with a lovely Uma Thurman and you get the formula for a good, if predictable time. The movie starts out with excitement but quickly fades.

This film has something for everyone and isn't too adult for children, even if it isn't the most exciting thing around. Romance, action, and unbelievably dark tans on both Affleck and Thurman keep your attention, even if the script doesn't.

- Denise Eaker, executive director