A higher class of thriller.
Comment
06/18/02
Payback (1999)
51
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:69
Fresh:35
Rotten:34
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Sadistic violence and rote humor saddle a predictable action premise.
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Mel Gibson is Porter, a ruthless criminal, who is gunned down by his wife and friend after they rob an Asian gang. When Porter survives the attack, he makes it his mission to exact revenge on his... [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, Deborah Unger
Director: Brian Helgeland
Reviews for Payback
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03/24/02
Top CriticIt 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 of viciousness.
03/22/02
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.
05/11/01
...tries to be a no-nonsense action thriller, but it's undermined by its own plot silliness and by the unruffled attitude of its main character.
04/08/01
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02/27/01
It's undone not so much by the shadow of Lee Marvin falling heavily on it (which it does) as by the twin obstacles of big star image and, more to the point, excessive violence.
02/14/01
Top CriticClick to read the article
01/01/01
Very good fun!
01/01/00
Top CriticClick to read the article
01/01/00
It's a good, strong shot for fans who like their crime stories rough and no-nonsense.
01/01/00
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01/01/00
The film's moral manipulations betray its fascistic heart.
01/01/00
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01/01/00
Like its main character, Payback is entertainingly true to itself, and in the absence of any real imagination or ingenuity, for an audience tired of movies that trip over themselves trying to please, that goes a long way.
01/01/00
Payback rips off the way a noir film is shot and looks.
01/01/00
Payback is not, in any way, an entertaining film.
01/01/00
If you thought crime in the streets was a problem, wait till you take a gander at Payback, a violent, sadistic mess.
01/01/00
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01/01/00
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