Payback poster & wallpaper

Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello

They stole his money, turned his woman against him, and left him for dead. Now tough-guy poster child Porter (the appropriately world-weary Mel Gibson) is back, bad to the bone, and a mite ticked off ...( read more  read more... )at the Organization that done him wrong. Mucho macho carnage ensues.

It took some major guts for first-time director (and Oscar winner for the script of L.A. Confidential) Brian Helgeland to take a shot at adapting Donald Westlake's pseudonymous, legendarily gritty novel The Hunter for the screen (especially considering that director John Boorman and irresistible force Lee Marvin had already produced a fairly definitive rendering of the source material with their enigmatic 1967 masterpiece Point Blank). Nonetheless this novice auteur managed to pull out a winner. Put simply, this compulsively watchable piece of scuzz-art hits like a well-placed Magnum round, with a wonderful '70s vibe and an awesome rogues' gallery of baddies (including James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, William Devane, and the riotously sadistic Lucy Liu) for the charmingly battered star to play off of--and ultimately wade through.

Although this enjoyably seedy roll through the gutter of Crime Alley does occasionally threaten to wander off its downturned track (hands-on producer Gibson reportedly stepped in at the last moment to make his antihero a little more heroic), the final result is an admirably pulpy, distinctly dirty slice of neo-noir liberally marinated in blood, blue smoke, and bourbon. This particular payback's one tough little SOB, indeed. --Andrew Wright

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68% liked it

80,522 ratings

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51% liked it

69 critics

R, 101 min.

Directed by: Brian Helgeland

Release Date: February 5, 1999

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DVD Release Date: July 27, 1999

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Stats: 2,423 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,423)

  • organgrinder136
    May 29, 2009
    organgrinder136
    mel gibson being a hard man for an hour 40. had some half decent plot twists but clearly the best thing was lucy liu playing pearl... a sadistic prostitute who is hilarious to watch on screen
  • kiriyamakazou
    March 31, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    Having heard that the theatrical and director's cut's of these movies are almost completely different films, I've decided to review them separately.

    Theatrical Version:
    Payback is a hard man mobster flick. It seems to be one of the many Ritchie/Tarantino wannabe's of the time. ...( read more)There's a very dark and nasty edge to it. The tag line was "Get ready to root for the bad guy" and they aren't wrong. We are left cheering on a man on a brutal killing spree, trying to get back money he stole in the first place. The film takes on a rather fresh narrative as it isn't a simple revenge film, Porter just wants what's his. This means we have no real antagonist, after all everybody's a bit of a bastard. Porter just climbs the ladder wanting his $70,000. The violence is sudden and nasty, but the film fails to play up the comedic touches hinted at in the trailer. I may only be saying this with the knowledge of a director's cut existing. But this really does feel like a film that has faced a heavy cut, and still drags in places. Fun, violent but leaves you wanting more.

    Director's Cut:
    Helgeland was fired before finishing the movie. Now he returns, but unfortunately, a lot of his original stuff no longer exists. So he has had to settle with editing his vision together from the existing film. For the most part the films are very similar. Almost identical. Until the final third. Gone is the overtly complex kidnapping plot and we are treated to a much more realistic confrontation that suits Gibson's character better. The film also looks completely different. Gone is the desaturated blue tint. It's for the better, the film is gritty but nicer to look at, everything is clearer and more vibrant. This is coming from a guy who loves his desaturated films. The music is also different, though neither versions stood out for me.

    In Conclusion:
    Both are very good films and offer different surprises in the last third. For me the simplicity of the Director's Cut just puts it above the theatrical version. It's also leaner, being 10 minutes shorter, and this helps with the pacing. Try and watch both.
  • lyndsiekivell
    January 29, 2009
    lyndsiekivell
    Mel Gibson at the height of his acting prowess. He's gorgeous, dirty, rough and kick-arse.
  • stopitgoaway
    October 22, 2008
    stopitgoaway
    Easily one of Gibson's best, and one of the best of it's kind you will ever see. Homage to film noir, combined with usual Gibson tongue-in-cheekness, and some fabulous supporting roles from the likes of Coburn, Kristofferson, Liu, and Devane. Henry does a stirling job here opposi...( read more)te Gibson. Liu is simply wonderful in a role that - worryingly perhaps - looks like it was made for her!

    Porter's single-minded, no-nonsense determination to get what he sees as justice for himself strikes a chord, and has you rooting for him right to the end. This film rarely lets up on the intensity, and gets better as it goes along. It will make you laugh and cringe at the same time, but you won't want to take your eyes off the screen for a second. It looks good, feels good, and oozes class. Definitely a must-see.
  • DrZeek
    October 4, 2008
    DrZeek
    Val Resnick: Beauty of the Chows is that they won't go to the cops. They keep everything in house... and, they don't feel pain the way we do.
    Porter: You notice anything about those guys, Val?
    Val Resnick: They look nasty... probably all Kung Fu-motherfuckers. Why, did I miss som...( read more)ething?
    Porter: They weren't wearing their seat belts.

    A fun, dark revenge story, with Gibson in one of his last good roles before the craziness stepped in.

    This movie is very dark and gritty, yet filled with a great morbid sense of humor. Everyone in this movie is in asshole mode, and it only makes it more fun.

    Good 70s soundtrack as well, in fact the whole movie plays like an homage to a 70s revenge story, which is pretty cool.

    Porter: [voiceover] You'd think after five months of lying on my back, I would have given up any idea of getting even, just be a nice guy and call it a day. Nice guys are fine: you have to have somebody to take advantage of... but they always finish last.

    Gibson has a lot of fun as Porter, an asshole/professional criminal who is seeking revenge based around principle, which is evident from the fact that he only wants a certain amount of money, and rejects offers of more. As he appears back from the dead after being shot, he tries to get his point across and get his revenge, but keeps getting interfered with by higher up criminals and crooked cops.

    Stegman: You know what, Val, this one's on me. OK?
    Val Resnick: Do you see me reaching for my fucking wallet!?

    The film also stars a hilarious Greg Henry as the man who double crossed Porter with Porter's own wife, played by Deborah Kara Unger. You also have Maria Bello, David Paymer, Lucy Lui, Kris Kristofferson, and James Coburn as various figures all in Porter's way.

    Pearl: [seductively] I've got a few minutes.
    Porter: So go boil an egg.

    The film was written and directed by Brian Helgeland, screenwriter of such films as LA Confidential, who has based the movie of a novel titled The Hunter, which has itself been previously adapted as the Lee Marvin film Point Blank.

    Now, there are two versions of this film. The original theatrical version, which replaced Helgeland and the third act of the film, and there is a more recently released director's cut. Both versions would get the same rating despite their differences.

    The original has a steely blue look to it and fits into a zone where Gibson is a bad guy, but the best bad among all the others. The director's cut removes the blue look for a grittier look, removes the voiceover, replaces the soundtrack, and has a darker and completely different ending.

    A dark and fun R rated revenge story, filled with violence and Gibson when he wasn't crazy Mel.

    [Porter has just threatened to kill Carter while talking to Bronson on the phone]
    Bronson: Are you threatening me?
    Porter: I'm not threatening you, I'm threatening Carter.
  • JaneDoeNili
    November 19, 2009
    JaneDoeNili
    Mel Gibson's performance is outstanding. He is so good as a bad man!
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    One of my favorite Mel Gibson movies. Even though the director's cut is way better, this is still one of the best neo-noir films around. It's a classic setup of loot money gone rotten, filled with car chases and femme fatals. I love that the movie had such a great sense of humor,...( read more) not overused at all. Mel Gibson is just one of the most likable action stars because he always played smart characters that weren't the same over and over.
  • minhvanl
    November 12, 2009
    minhvanl
    Not bad at all.Real good to see
  • sweetcutegirl2002
    November 10, 2009
    sweetcutegirl2002
    Its not as interesting as we thought,
  • HateYouIgnorant
    October 31, 2009
    HateYouIgnorant
    !Comercial or Stupid! :|

View All Payback Reviews

Critic Reviews

June 18, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A higher class of thriller. full review

March 22, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

It quickly slides into a Lethal Weapon without Danny Glover, complete with blowups and wisecracks, gratuitous torture scenes and Gibson in familiar form as the twinkling rascal who makes a virtue out ... full review

May 11, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

In the popcorn sense, it certainly delivers on mindless escapism. In the artistic sense, let's just say that Payback is a long way from Point Blank. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

There is much cleverness and ingenuity in Payback. full review

View more Payback reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Payback Trivia

  • in the film of (payback) what is the name of the star?  Answer »
  • In "Payback", in the apartment scene, after Lucy Liu finished kicking Gregg Henry's ass, she says to Mel Gibson: "I've got a few minutes". What was Mel Gibson's answer?  Answer »
  • Near the end of the movie Payback, how many toes does Porter (Mel Gibson) get hammered?  Answer »
  • The Mel Gibson film Payback was released in which year?  Answer »
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