Customer Reviews

Payback (Widescreen)

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Porter (Mel Gibson) common criminal is just doing his thing and rather flamboyantly. He pilfers from the bob and his cut is $70,000. He is double-crossed by his buddy and wife as he was left for dead. Well Porter may be a common criminal but he does have a sense of Justus and does whatever it takes to recover his $70,000. In the process, he is roughed up a few times and the perpetrators find themselves skillfully dispatched. The questions are will he get his money back before there is no one left to give it to him.

Yep it is formula; yep Mel has a tendency for over acting. We get the standard surprises. Lots of action.

Be sure to check the details out on the different packaging as there are variations on the story.

Hamlet ~ Mel Gibson

I gave this movie 3 stars because it offers almost a complete different movie than the theatre version. I believe this one to be better only because the action is more intense. Picture wise it is no different, no inovations, simply different parts, which were not used in the theatre version, make up this version. I prefered the theatres ending rather than this one. Again I must say, the French audio track was not present, and that in itself causes much shagrin for people who don't speak English. Antonio DI Donato

"Payback" is a funny dark comedy and crime thriller at the same time. Mel Gibson plays Porter, a theif who has sworn vengence against his best friend (Gregg Henry) and his wife (Deborah Unger) for ripping off his share of heist money and leaving him for dead. He returns, enlists the aid of a hooker friend, and takes on the entire New York mob (called the Outfit). All of the men in the movie are bad guys, it's just that some are worst guys. Mel Gibson has never been funnier, even though he never cracks a smile through the whole movie. His delivery is dead pan, and that makes it so much funnier. Gibson's Porter (there is no first name) is tough. Porter has a kind of street smart that allows him to survive, much like a fox in the woods, always having the bad guys fall into their own traps. Lucy Liu is also pretty good as an extream S&M dominatrix. The three main bad guys are old hands at being bad. Kris Kristofferson is the head of the Outfit, Bronson. James Coburn is funny as the older man, Fairfax. And William Devane as Carter, a slimy day supervisor is funny at how casual he orders rather grisly murders. The violence is gruesome (though not exactly "Friday the 13th" level), but it is done in a "Three Stoges" extreamity that's kind of comic (although the torture scene at the end is not at all funny, I'll never look at Three Little Pigs the same way). I loved this movie, it has action, comedy, and a melodramatic scene that is out of this world. "Payback" is based on Richard Stark's "The Hunter", the first Parker novel. The movie has the correct feel that jibes with the book.

"Get ready to root for the bad guy." I've been a Gibson fan for years. From the Lethal Weapon series, to Braveheart, to Hamlet. So, needless to say, I had to go after reading that Mel was playing a bad guy. It's a role he naturally roles into. It's against type Mel's usually good-duy role, so that makes it more fun.

It's very dark, and rather violent. Not a movie for the weak of heart.
(spoiler warning) spoiler warning

From the opening scene this movie doesn't relent. He takes change from a homeless man.Lift a guys wallet, and then assumes his identity whereupon he withdraws several hundred dollars, he buys a suit, he buys 3 expsensive watches, and immediately pawns them.

(spoiler over)

That said the movie is just too well acted for people to say anything negative against it.

Having Mel Gibson play such a lowdown creature as Porter is original enough in its own right. The fact that he plays him so well and that we root for him only goes to show the magnetic power of this charismatic performer. Briskly helmed by Brian Helgeland (he'll win an Oscar someday!), this flick moves like lightning and offers Gibson a chance to off Gregg Henry, William Devane, David Paymer, James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson. That's no small feat. The atmosphere is perfect, the musical score sublime, the overall effect cheesily gratifying. Maria Bello is fine as Gibson's love interest, too, and we can't overlook Porter the Dog. An involving and entertaining noir film.

A typical, by-the-numbers, emotionless action movie like so many others. Mel Gibson plays a tough guy (surprise!) that fights the real bad guys. Well, that`s about it... The beginning of the story is appealing, given that the direction is actually good and creates a tense mood with a dark blue ambience, a crime noir feel. Unfortunately, that`s the only good aspect of this picture, since the plot is flat and the characters one-dimensional.
Another boring blockbuster.

it wasnt that much of a bore but this movie quickly drops with its nagging supportees and their dumb dialouge. but Gibson is great and looks like hes having a good time killing off these people then you'd think. the highlight is when Gibson visits James Coburn at his place and makes the bagcarries hold up the suitcases and then he shoots them, Coburn flips out and its great. some good action scenes, but Gregg Henry sorta puts the kick in kicked in the head, though I was greatful Gibson shot him in the head.

"Payback" hails back to the seventies type movies where rooting for the bad guy is the whole point of the movie and it works quite successfully in this first-rate film. Mel Gibson does an terrific job of playing the bad guy that you really want to root for. Fair warning to the light of heart and young ones though, for this film is not for them. Sticking with Mel Gibson's type of film making, the realism in this film is astonishing and could be considered rather shocking.

Given that this is an entirely different type of movie for Mel Gibson in which he is the hero of the film but his character isn't quite the "hero" type, I found his performance to be exceptional, but then again, name a film where his performance wasn't exceptional. Maria Bello of "ER" fame stars as Mel Gibson's love interest and she performs quite well in this film. Gregg Henry who plays the "true" bad guy of the film and he does a great job of playing the extraordinarily sadistic mafia "wannabe." Kris Kristofferson plays the "mob" boss of the film. Lucy Alexis Liu performs quite "scarily" as the masochistic/sadistic call girl with some interesting associates.

This is the first film from Director Brian Helgeland that I've seen and he certainly deserves a great amount of praise for bringing the novel "The Hunter" by Richard Stark to the silver screen and DVD format. This film is certainly the last of its type in the twentieth century! The sound track for the film matches perfectly with the entire "feel" and atmosphere of the film, greatly enhancing the experience.

The premise:

Mel Gibson plays Porter who, while being little more than a common criminal is not so much a common criminal as the film unfolds. As the film opens Porter is retelling the recent events of his life after he's been shot and has now recovered enough to make his way back to New York City and he's on a mission. We soon learn that he and Val Resnick had planned and executed the robbery of $130,000 from a Chinese organized crime group and that when it came time to divide the money between himself and his wife and Val, Val had been conspiring with Porter's wife, showing her a picture of Porter and Rosie (Maria Bello). Porter's wife shoots him in the back. He's now recovered and he's coming to town, looking for his $70,000 and to kill Val Resnick.

What follows from there is nothing short of one of the most brilliant films of its type where Mel Gibson brings his style of acting to the forefront where he can throw in some well placed and funny lines in the most serious of situations for his character.

I highly recommend this film to any and all fans of this genre as you will soon find that it bears many viewings quite easily and all the way through you'll be "rooting for the bad guy." {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

There's not much to look for here when it comes to the Special Features for "Payback." In the end though, this DVD is about the movie and that's what you get, in all its glory!

- 2 Theatrical Trailers
- Behind the Scenes Featurette

A very simple plot : Porter (Mel Gibson) has been shot for USD 70,000 (his share of a robbery from China gang). And luckily, he survives and wants the money back.

The story then goes a little bit complicated after : [1] dirty cops want to have share, [2] the China gang wants revenge, and [3] mob organization whom his partner give his money to.

But... Porter will do whatever it takes to get the money back. The stake is very high, but what he wants is only his 70K.

This is the movie, I first caught Lucy Liu in movie. Although playing small role, but her action is unforgettable.

plenty of action in this flick, plenty of familiar faces in the acting dept also, don't expect an academy award winner, but...if ya seen it at the movies on a saturday afternoon, it was well worth the money.. soap star trevor st john plays a hot guy, the son of kris kristofferson, william devane plays a outfit boss, corrupt cops....has everything in this movie to keep ya entertained....a comparison to " get carter" with stallone was mentioned, i was seeing the same exact thing, this was much better, mel gibson has 9 live in this movie for sure