"Get ready to root for the bad guy" trumpeted Payback's tag-line, and for once the marketing folks were on to something. Where many action films that go the anti-hero route assume we'll root for the star just because he's a star, Payback takes advantage of Mel Gibson's ability to combine a glimmer of genuine instability with a wounded manner that makes his instability as sympathetic as it is menacing. Gibson uses that persona to solid effect as Porter, a career thief in single-minded pursuit of revenge after surviving a betrayal by a partner (Gregg Henry) who stole $140,000 and left Porter for dead. Along the way to his goal, he encounters intriguing characters who provide half the fun in the film, including Ally McBeal's Lucy Liu as a gleeful dominatrix, and James Coburn as a dapper mid-level crime boss. Payback works in large part because it's not just Gibson running around shooting and getting shot at. The whole atmosphere seethes corruption, from the bleached cinematography to the cold brick of the production design, and includes just the right level of humor to offset the often-wearying violence (when a good-old-fashioned roughing up involves the strategic application of a sledgehammer, you know you're dealing with overkill). If you can get past the bloodshed and brutality, you'll find a surprisingly slick, smart thriller in Payback. Credit Gibson for giving us the kind of psycho you can't help cuddling up to. A strong optional purchase. (S. Renshaw)[DVD Review—Apr. 3, 2007—Paramount, 90 min., not rated, $19.98—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1999's Payback (Straight Up: The Director's Cut) features a fine transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include audio commentary by director Brian Helgeland, two “Paybacks Are a Bitch” location featurettes for Los Angeles and Chicago (50 min. total), the featurette “Same Story-Different Movie: Creating Payback: The Director's Cut” (29 min.), and the 11-minute segment “The Hunter: A Conversation with Author Donald E. Westlake.” Bottom line: running approximately 10 minutes shorter, this Payback is very different, with the film's blue tint removed, the original score replaced, and the film's third act restructured to fit Helgeland's original ending—creating a leaner, tighter film minus some of the atmospheric elements of the theatrical version. Given the fine extras, this new version is well worth considering.]
Payback
(Paramount, 101 min., R, avail. July 27, <B>DVD</B>) 8/2/99
Payback
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