It's kicky, nasty urban sangfroid with pointy little teeth and a serious case of the angries, an existential hand grenade disguised as a heist film.
Payback (1999)
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... 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 friend, who has used 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 (1967). [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, Deborah Unger
Starring: Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, Deborah Unger, David Paymer, Bill Duke, William Devane, Kris Kristofferson, James Coburn
Director: Brian Helgeland
Director: Brian Helgeland
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland, Terry Hayes
Producer: Bruce Davey
Composer: Chris Boardman
Reviews for Payback
This movie is packed with surprises, gunfire and humor; it's a fun action flick you shouldn't miss.
It feels more like a lousy Christopher Lambert thriller: all bad jokes, lampoonish villains and gory violence.
Its smirking sense of humor and generic self-consciousness suggest that Payback would like to think of itself as a hip descendant of Pulp Fiction. But the movie is utterly devoid of narrative ingenuity and visual and dramatic flair.
Sadly, though, Payback finally puts Gibson at the mercy of a torture and sadism sequence so attenuated and so painful to watch that it sabotages the picture’s own quite solid instincts for theater, innovation and wit.
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