Strictly a Mel Gibson vehicle, and one that doesn't really know what to do with the star's easygoing, audience-pleasing charm.
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
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Reviews for Payback
This movie is packed with surprises, gunfire and humor; it's a fun action flick you shouldn't miss.
It is well written, contains a flock of colorful characters, and gives star Mel Gibson a number of great one-liners.
The strangest marriage of '30s noir and '90s hyper-action imaginable, and if the end result is a sort of cartoon, it's a fun cartoon to look at.
Direction is choppy, the interplay between the characters is perfunctory, although not as perfunctory as the unearned ending.
A solid enough action comedy, albeit one that had a lot of potential to be wittier and darker.
It's a good, strong shot for fans who like their crime stories rough and no-nonsense.
Payback has its moments and its thrills, but the payoff just isn't there.
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.
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 of viciousness.
It feels more like a lousy Christopher Lambert thriller: all bad jokes, lampoonish villains and gory violence.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
| 58% 58% | 9 |
| 44% 44% | Jennifer's Body |
| 58% 58% | A Perfect Getaway |
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