Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Abbigail Bush what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

mgtbltp Payback is the third interpretation of Donald E. Westlake's novel The Hunter (1962), written under the pseudonym Richard Stark. A crime thriller novel, the first of the Parker novels. The other films are John Boorman's Point Blank (1967), starring Lee Marvin and Ringo Lam's Full Contact (1992), starring Chow Yun-fat. Payback was directed by Brian Helgeland and written Brian Helgeland (screenplay) and Terry Hayes (screenplay), (theatrical cut). Cinematography was by Ericson Core, and music was by Chris Boardman. The film stars Mel Gibson as Porter, Gregg Henry as Val Resnick, Maria Bello as Rosie, Lucy Liu as Pearl, Deborah Kara Unger as Lynn Porter, David Paymer as Arthur Stegman, Bill Duke as Detective Hicks, Jack Conley as Detective Leary, John Glover as Phil, William Devane as Carter, James Coburn as Fairfax, Kris Kristofferson as Bronson (Theatrical Cut), Sally Kellerman as Bronson (Director's Cut), Trevor St. John as Johnny Bronson (Theatrical Cut), Freddy Rodriguez as Valet, Manu Tupou as Pawnbroker. There are two versions out there the theatrical release and the director's cut.I've seen both versions. The best film version in my opinion would be roughly, the theatrical release with the narration and blue tint then go with the director's cut (but keeping the blue tint) to the ambiguous end. I'd keep the beating also. The film looks great in a Noir-ish way. It homages beautifully classic noir with it voice over narration, the heavy use of stylistics and locations that evoke cinematic memory. Gregg Henry is impressive he evokes the spirit of Dan Duryea.Unfortunately the film goes somewhat slowly off the rails with various scenarios, i.e. Porter cutting a gas line under a an 80s Lincoln which would be physically impossible to do, you can't squeeze under that type of car, no way, and the unneeded extraneous additions of dominatrix Pearl (Liu ) and the Chinese Tong machine gun battle where it veers off into Action film and touches on Tarantino land, when it didn't have to, a shame. The majority of Films Noir were simple stories when you overload then with action sequences you tip the film past the noir tipping point it becomes more of the Action Genre, for me anyway. Give it a fair shake your personal noir tuning fork may accept it more than mine does. Watch also the Film Soleil adaptation of the novel, Point Blank (1967), for a comparison, same story set in California. I haven't seen Chow Yun-fat's Full Contact (1992). Screencaps are from the Paramount DVD. 6.5-7/10

carbuff Mel Gibson is at the top of his form playing a nasty, sociopathic, violent, but exceptionally witty career criminal. Disturbingly, I am pretty certain that this role isn't much of a stretch for him, which is why he so easily wears it like a second skin. You know how you always think of the perfect thing to say ten minutes too late, well, in this flick Mel never misses a beat, and it's quite entertaining. The violence is pretty much non-stop from beginning to end, but it is non-stop with very high production values and mostly not excessively graphic, much of it actually played for sick humor. There's a complete lack of characters with any redeeming traits at all in this movie. There is not one single person that you would like to have anything to do with in real life. It is just degrees from really, really bad to completely, utterly horrible, which is why you wind up rooting for Mel--he's just the best looking and least reprehensible out of a despicable line-up. With all that said, this film grabs your attention at the beginning and never lets go. The script is particularly clever, and there are no bad performances (although, obviously, Kris Kristofferson's serious acting career is more expired than year-old warm milk). Therefore, I must do two things. First, I have to give this film full marks, because it perfectly accomplished everything it set out to do. Second, I have to take a shower, because I feel kind of dirty.

Dale Haufrect Just another Mel Gibson thriller, but it is still exciting to watch. And "Payback" is now available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Brian Helgeland. The writer of the novel is Donald E. Westlake, and the writer of the screenplay is Brian Helgeland. The actors include Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, David Paymer, Bill Duke, Deborah Kara Unger, John Glover, William Devane, Lucy Liu, Jack Conley, Kris Kristofferson, Mark Alfa, Kwame Amoaku, Justin Ashforth, Len Bajenski, Kate Buddeke, Price Carson, Roddy Chiong, Art Cohan, Andrew Cooper, James Deuter, Doc Duhame, David Dunard, Nathan Effron, Tom Equin and Brian Heinberg. The story of a bank robber and his encounters with the law as well a gangland. There are many twists and turns and there is also much comic relief. I gave it 8 stars. Dale Haufrect

movie reviews Slow, tedious, clichéd, not believable, not engaging, and not interesting. Doesn't that about cover a bad movie? This movie is so bad its hard to know where to start.As it opens for about the first 10 minutes you have hope for this thing the cinematography is great...but about the time Gibson tears the earring off the heroin delivery boy it heads into a steep dive. It just gets worse and worse until you can't take it any more. I lasted an hour only because I wasn't able to see the reviews on IMDb.Dumb dumb and dumber I just don't know what to say.Gratuitous endless sadistic violence Gibson walking around like it might be a comedy he is in. But mostly the thing seems a mime of reality filmed in dark blue color cartoonish villains uggh! Avoid this semi psychotic boring thing! DO NOT RECOMMEND