Ben Affleck's flagging career didn't get the jolt it needed from this recent collaboration with director John Woo. A sci-fi adventure following a genius engineer who loses his memory, Paycheck may be "brisk and enjoyable", but audiences forgot it almost as soon as it hit theatres. The more cynical might suspect that this quick transfer to DVD has been timed to coincide with the cinema release of Kill Bill: Volume 2 as Uma Thurman also co-stars in butt-kicking form. In any case, with its armload of extras, this DVD is bound to make an impact.

Show Me The Money

Running at almost 30 minutes each, the two main featurettes could easily qualify as fully-fledged documentaries. Designing The Future kicks off with the obligatory notes on casting before broadening out into a much more engaging look at the various design aspects. In addition to plenty of scene-to-storyboard comparisons, there's rare insight into John Woo's frustration at having to work within the constraints of a modest budget.

The Stunts Of Paycheck makes further reference to the cash-flow problem, as Woo gesticulates wildly and raves about wanting to make things "bigger, just bigger!" In spite of his deadpan exterior, stunt coordinator Gregg Smrz claims to have been just as passionate. With reams of behind-the-scenes footage and rehearsal videos, he explains in satisfying detail how each key stunt was achieved to The Woo's satisfaction. Ben Affleck also gets to toot his own horn about the "NFL brutality" he adopted for his fight scenes while, fresh off the set of Kill Bill, Uma Thurman shows off a consummate knowledge of "slap-kicks, spin-kicks, and stop-points". Ouch.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Screenwriter Dean Georgaris delivers a very open and honest audio commentary, pointing out where actors have ad libbed, and credits John Woo with making "a dull scene on the page" into something larger-than-life. If you can understand Woo's thick accent, you'll also learn a lot about the Hitchcockian themes he incorporated, and his intention to downplay the sci-fi element in favour of human drama. The matter of whether he succeeded, or not, is left up to you.

There's also a generous selection of extended and deleted scenes - unfortunately these don't afford any deeper insight into the characters. Likewise, you'll understand why the alternative ending provided here was eventually cut.

All in all, there's enough on this DVD to ensure Paycheck makes a longer lasting impression this time around.

EXTRA FEATURES