Unlike Philip K. Dick’s story of the same
name, the film has only viewing the future rather than physical
time travel such as the story’s time scoop’s retrieval capability.
Also, the film omits Dick’s dystopian police state and his theme of
fate via what appears (in the story) to be a single static timeline.
On the other side of the coin, the filmmakers made an epic car chase scene, took Jenning’s
female sidekick off the sidelines, and attempted to massively raise the stakes via some
questionable choices by Jennings.
— Michael Main
Shorty: Look, if we know anything, we know that time travel's
not possible. Einstein proved that. Right? Michael: Time
travel, yes. But Einstein was very clear that he believed time
viewing, theoretically, could be accomplished.
DEBUT
Paycheck (at movie theaters, USA, 25 December 2003).
VARIANTS
Debut. Paycheck (at movie theaters, USA, 25 December 2003).
Circa AD 2000 to 2099: The general technology is consistent with the early 21st century, so we assume that the date of 5/20/07 on the mailing receipt is 2007.
Multiple Naive Timelines: Clearly there is the timeline that Rethrick originally saw plus the second timeline that Jennings created by sending himself the trinkets. We saw no clues about an underlying timeline model.
Single Static Timeline: Overall, we believe that there is one timeline only. Jennings must have seen himself using the trinkets, after which he made certain those trinkets were available to his future self.
Time Travel Methods
Chronoscopes: The viewer uses a powerful laser to see the future around the curvature of the universe.
Shorty: Look, if we know anything, we know that time travel's
not possible. Einstein proved that. Right?
1 English variant