By William Gallagher BBC News Online

Paycheck has predictable extras

Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman star in the science fiction thriller Paycheck, which is released on DVD in the UK this week.

This movie sounds good but isn't. Affleck is an agent who has agreed to have his memory wiped after every mission, with the understanding that he'll get paid a tonne of money.

After the last one, though, he is puzzled to hear from his bosses that he waived his fee, and has to work out why.

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As ever with this kind of film, there are many extras but it's hard to care.

The most surprising is that there's screenwriter commentary but the rest of the featurettes predictably concentrate on the effects and the look of the film.

Das Boot - The mini-series

Das Boot is gripping

It's maddening when you've bought a DVD only to have a new version come out.

And yet you'll live with that for this one because it's worth it.

Don't look for extras, just relish the fact that this is about three hours longer than the old one: this is the original TV mini-series, not the film.

Wolfgang Peterson directs a tale of life beneath the waves aboard a German submarine during World War II.

And you thought 24 was tense. You won't breath out for five hours.

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What did you think of these DVDs? Send us your comments.

I would say Paycheck is the best sci-fi thriller of the year 2004.
Kofil, Worcester. uk

Utterly disappointing in every way. Uma Thurman should seriously consider more acting lessons and as for Ben Affleck, he needs to get his attitude sorted out because his arrogance and swagger shines through. I would have expected much more from John Woo after the likes of Face Off and MI2 which were both reasonably entertaining. I'm considering writing and asking for some compensation for wasting 2 hours of my life. Avoid it at all costs!
Paul, Durham

One simple but very effective word sums up Paycheck. Terrible.
Varj, London, England

"Paycheck" manages to be (at the same time): The Worst John Woo film ever; The Worst Ben Affleck movie ever (an achievement in itself); The Worst Uma Thurman movie ever; and The Worst Philip K. Dick adaptation ever. The concept is intriguing and could have made for a great movie, but don't be fooled this is one of the most laughable movies ever. The script is a joke, Ben Affleck is so bland and annoying that you want his character to die in the first 5 minutes, and Uma Thurman should be hiding in shame for choosing this garbage as her "Kill Bill" follow-up. A caricature of a John Woo movie; everyone involved must have laughed all the way to the bank to cash their own paychecks.
Yann, London

Paycheck. Great idea. Rubbish film. Sad really.
Mark, Manchester, UK

Paycheck is an excellent fun film with an interesting concept behind it. I particularly enjoyed the actor who plays Ben's comedy sidekick.
Tom, Durham

I really enjoyed Paycheck. The plot was well-structured with very few holes. There is an exciting chase sequence that doesn�t rely on CGI, and a couple of decent fights, but even a John Woo film needs to be more than its set pieces, and this film is. It may not be as whizz-bang and slick as Minority Report, but this is probably the best Philip K Dick adaptation since Blade Runner. The story and the characters are the important things, not the special effects. The filmmakers were going for a Hitchcock type style, and the film's pace and look reflects this. OK, so it isn't The Killer, but it is a lot less daft than MI:2. If you want your sci-fi to be overflowing with spaceships and explosions then this film is not for you and I suggest that you go and watch a Star Wars film again, but if you want an anti-corporate paranoid love story then you could do a lot worse than renting this movie.
Simon, London

Some Phil Dick short stories make crackin' films; others don't. This is one of them that doesn't. I don't care who the director is if the writing's not worth it; John Woo is known for little-thought and lots-of-action pictures, so why he was chosen to direct a Phil Dick short story (known for provocative thought and strong emotional content) I don't know. Selling a film through marqee value is an effective way. Some people will watch anything with their favourite actors in it. Uma Thurman has done good work in the past, though her recent choices are a bit dodgy; Ben Affleck may not have to act as he's eye candy for the ladies (rather like Keanu Reeves) and what bloke won't fantasise about being that visibly desireable? In short: the film's rubbish with a shiny surface. "Minority Report' is so much better as both a story and as a film, even with the final five minutes.
Roger Brown, Treforest, Wales, UK

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