Paycheck

Minority Report (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
$12.98
One major difficulty with a film of this sort is that seriously intended hocus-pocus will turn into comic hocus-pocus. I wouldn't say that this film slid over that line but it does come very close a number of times. For me,having Tom Cruise, in particular, make funny looking gestures and do awkward looking things, however justified by the written word of the script, detracts from my acceptance of the film . At any rate, I was left in something of a muddle as to whether I liked it or not, whether I thought anyone else would like it. Not having resolved that issue in my mind, I will simply say that most of the performers did quite well under the circumstances, there were some quite workable scenes, and there were all sorts of machines and gadgets to satisfy the fans of such. Those who find incredible plots and action generally inane or uninteresting should steer clear.

Paycheck (Special Collector's Edition)
$12.98
The title for the review is not quite what I was ready to put down, but as I glanced at the web-page for the film I couldn't help thinking it was inferior to that of the lead review so I "borrowed" that from Joanna Daneman-the whiz reviewer. Of course, I could simply have said "ditto" to the rest of her review and let it go at that....or, better still, not written this at all. However, that is not the way of the world, one wants to stick ones oar in even when it is not in the least required.
Why some films in the same genre, sci-fi shoot 'em up action, leave me cool, sometimes quite cold, while this one was just plain fun and good watching most of the time is a mystery. Strangely enough, I was not really taken by any of the actors, though Affleck did his job well as did the other players who weren't stunt men and women. That crew, as well, of course, as the designer and director of the action scenes, are certainly to be commended.The plot was a tried and true one, the gimmick a good one, the "end of the world" scenerio as good as most are in this type of film....Oh, yes, Uma Thurman, got to smile a lot and look winsome when not taking her part in the action scenes (naturally, in between the stunt cast filling in as needed). The other actors did what was required. the non-human aspects of the stunts were entertaining and, on the whole, a good time was had by all (well, by me, anyway).

Paycheck [Blu-ray]
$29.99
This film has to be one of Ben Affleck's best movies, his acting in this film is basically brilliant, the co-stars are perfectly matched and the film as a whole highly instense and very entertaining. This film will satisfy both the science fiction affectionado as well as the serious drama fan.

The Sum of All Fears (Special Collector's Edition)
$9.98
Ben Affleck is a suitably young Ryan to match the fact that he is courting his future wife; Morgan Freeman, as always, is excellent. James Cromwell does well by the President although not always well served by the scriptwriter. There are thrills aplenty as we watch, knowing that an unexploded nuclear bomb has been discovered in the Golan Heights. Who has it? What will they do with it? Finding out provides its share of thrills as the film unfolds. By far, not of the first rank, but sufficient for an entertaining two hours.
After my brief comment I read some of the negative reviews. Taste for films varies by individuals, as it does for most cultural objects. I did not read the book, or if I did, it was too long ago for me to remember the plot, so I would not comment on the relationship of the screenplay to the novel. However, I am moved, as I often am, vigorously to disagree with the notion that one can translate a book into a movie as if each word projects an exact image on screen. Words on a page are words on a page, images on a screen are images on a screen, and never the twain will meet. Of course, some poorer novels are written essentially as screenplays so the film-maker has little trouble using them almost as is. Some movies take a highly literate book and fail because they do not make something new out it. I am entirely on the side of Fred Astaire, who insisted to a person who was being "portrayed" in one of his films, that regardless of what she and her husband had actually done, the film demanded something other than that to be successful. As one of our ages' best artists said of painting, if what is in a painting could be said in words, you have a lousy painting. Painting is for what cannot be communicated any other way. Amusingly, there is a line given to Larry Parks (as Jolson) in Jolson Sings Again, when he is supposed to be working with the writers on The Jolson Story, in which he tells them not to stick to the truth, but to make up a good story.