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10/18/08
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Payback (1999)
42
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:19
Fresh:8
Rotten:11
Average Rating:5.1/10
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
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Reviews for Payback
Top CriticClick to read the article
07/21/05
Top CriticDemonstrates why Mel Gibson is a movie star: He can take mediocre material and through sheer willpower -- not to mention oodles of charm -- make it work.
11/06/02
Top CriticA higher class of thriller.
06/18/02
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
Top CriticIn 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
Top CriticIt'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 CriticIt's a good, strong shot for fans who like their crime stories rough and no-nonsense.
01/01/00
Top CriticIt is well written, contains a flock of colorful characters, and gives star Mel Gibson a number of great one-liners.
01/01/00
Top CriticDirection is choppy, the interplay between the characters is perfunctory, although not as perfunctory as the unearned ending.
01/01/00
Top CriticRehashed Quentin Tarantino or a rusted-out Pinto.
01/01/00
Top CriticSo generic that it sometimes approaches the self-parody of a Naked Gun movie!
01/01/00
Top CriticA sharp and funny script, understated acting, stylish.
01/01/00
Top CriticA mind-mangling disappointment, with a dopey sell-out ending.
01/01/00
Top CriticSadism is the film's only real subject, and its only real life as well.
01/01/00
Top CriticThis film is riddled with cliches and impossible situations.
01/01/00
Top CriticMorally bankrupt, but it's rich entertainment!
01/01/00
Top CriticThere is much cleverness and ingenuity in Payback.
01/01/00
Top CriticIts 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.
01/01/00
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