Recent Reviews for Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut
Recent Reviews
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MCT:June 15, 2008Wow! One of the coolest movies i have ever seen. Mel Gibson is simply superb in this alternative kick ass version of "Payback". If you liked "Payback", then you're going to love this one. Strongly recommended to everyone...
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MCT:June 5, 2008I need to find a copy of the theatrical cut before I can decide which is better. This one was lots of fun. Suffers from a complete lack of third act.
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MCT:May 22, 2008PAYBACK: STRAITH UP - THE DIRECTOR'S CUT (2006)
directed by Brian Helgeland
starring Mel Gibson, Maria Bello, Gregg Henryprinciple n 1: one's own rule or code of conduct or devotion to such a code
Two days after winning his Oscar - best adapted screenplay, L.A. Confidential - Brian Helgeland was fired from his directorial debut film. Production designer John Myhre took directing duties, a new writer was hired, changed the ending, added a new main villain and made Mel Gibson's character more likeable. Thirty percent of the film was reshoot. In post-production, some pseudo-bleach blue-tint effect was added to the image with a funky soundtrack and some sweet narration giving too much explanation. Seven years later, director Helgeland released this film, his vision. None of what was added was kept. In this version, the image is more colorful, focusing more on contrast, giving a realy film noir feel. Thats not all, its ten minute shorter, its grittier and more burtal. The ending is better, less suspenful, but with more intensity and it makes much more sense.Brian Helgeland is no Martin Scorsese, for that reason Payback: Straith Up isnt a must see, cause the director is no legend, even though he is quite a reliable screenwriter, but this version is superior to the theatrical release. Its still no masterpiece, but its film noir roots are more obvious and the ending isnt too Americanized and the main character isnt likeable as it should be. My only complain would be the torture scene from the orginal cut, which is missing here, but it couldnt work with this new way of telling the story.
The opening is a bit different, then the following first hour is pretty much the same, the changes come in the last thirty minutes so the performances stay the same and the film is still quite effective and even more satisying this way.
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MCT:April 10, 2008
whoa!! not as good as theatrical release..see both if you must..but I thought the original had a much better story..especially the ending..by the way payback is a remake of a 60s movie 'pointblank' with lee marvin...to me, Payback is superior with Mel Gibson...
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MCT:March 20, 2008Mel Gibson plays Porter, a ruthless criminal who is gunned down by his wife and bestfriend after they rob an Asian gang. Surviving the attack, Porter makes it his mission to exact revenge on his friend, who uses the robbery money to buy his way into a powerful syndicate. Added to the mix are crooked police officers, members of the syndicate, and the Asian gang, who are out for a bit of revenge themselves. Based on the series of novels by Donald E. Westlake, which were translated to the screen previously in John Boorman's Point Blank
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MCT:January 24, 2008
In my opinion, this is Mel's best role because he is the bad guy you love to root for! A great movie!!!
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MCT:January 23, 2008I rated this in comparison with the original theatrical release, yeah as you can see it paled greatly. They added some stupid bad-acting woman in the place of Chris Kristopherson and they eradicated some of my favorite scenes. Though some of the new scenes should have been in the first release, this movie really shouldn't have even been made. The director did a good job on the first one, he really should have left it at that.
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MCT:December 25, 2007usually the director's cut is better, this movie is not the case. from the special features it seems the director was actually fired halfway through the making of the film. I now see why.
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MCT:December 3, 2007
I never saw the theatrical cut so I have nothing to compare it to but this version was gritty, violent and dark. It's also different for Gibson who plays an almost unlikeable anti-hero. For fans of 70's noir.
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MCT:November 21, 2007
Interesting and much darker than the theatrical release ever was. A totally different 3rd act, but I did miss some of the Gibson's narratives... Finally not a typical Hollywood ending. You'll like this if you're a big fan of 1970s classics! Definitely worth a shot!
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MCT:September 9, 2007It was good but I didn't think it was as good as all my friends thought it was. It had some really good parts but I thought the ending fell a little short for me.
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MCT:August 24, 2007Verdict
Payback is a revenge movie you want to see and than see again. The action, the thrills and the hardcore acting of Mel Gibson. You don't want to stand in his way to get his justice!!! Highly recommended -
MCT:August 7, 2007
Before Mel went cuckoo, he made fantastic movies like this where you actually find yourself rooting for a violent, murdering thug. How refreshing.
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MCT:June 24, 2007"Porter is shot by his wife and best friend and is left to die"
Ooh that's gotta hurt more emotionally than physically! XD -
this was possibly one of the most brutal films of all time, love ya Mel, and a sick cast. LOVE THIS MOVIE!
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MCT:June 7, 2007
Much better than the butchered theatrical release. This director's cut is slick, vicious and mean, the way it's supposed to be.
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MCT:May 28, 2007Haven't seen the studio cut yet, but I hear this version's the one Gibson himself wanted in theaters as well as the director's, obviously
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MCT:May 19, 2007
A directors cut that signifcantly changes the tone and story.
Helgeland's new cut changes the visual look of the film and the overall tone is a lot darker, especially in terms of Gibson's Porter... Where the theatrical version toned down his characters actions with humour, this is all but gone. The film is still funny but not at the expense of his character and his actions. This for me was the real difference between the 2 versions. The last 30 mins or so is also completely different, and works maybe a little better.
In general, what you have is a director's cut of a film that turns it into a different film. Well worth checking out. -
MCT:May 9, 2007
If you like the theatrical version of Payback, you'll probably like this version too, its a little darker and has a completely different ending, in fact that last 20 minutes to a half hour is all reworked back to what it was originally.
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 something?
Porter: They weren't wearing their seatbelts.
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 an 70s revenge story, which is pretty cool. Gibson has a lot of fun as an asshole who is seeking revenge based mainly around principle, which is evident from the fact that he only wants a certain amount of money, and rejects offers of more. An R rated revenge story, filled with violence and Gibson when he wasn't crazy Mel.
Stegman: You know what, Val, this one's on me. OK?
Val Resnick: Do you see me reaching for my fucking wallet?
