"Hubba hubba hubba..."      

PAYBACK (R) 

Reviewed February 6, 1999 - Check out the Payback Website.

Porter (Mel Gibson) is a professional thief.  After working with his partner Val (Gregg Henry) on a $140,000 heist, Porter is happy to take his half of the pot ($70,000) and run.  Unfortunately, Val has other ideas, needing $130,000 to settle a debt he has with "The Syndicate" (a powerful crime organization in Chicago).  A double-cross occurs, and Porter is shot in the back twice and left for dead.  Does Porter die?  Of course not.

It's five months later and Porter has recovered from his gunshot wounds.  He's looking for Val.  He's looking for "The Syndicate."  Porter wants his $70,000 back. 

So begins Payback, a bloody and violent film filled with some very bad people.  With Porter on the loose and acting like a one-man wrecking crew, it's not long before "The Syndicate," Val, and a number of cars, trucks and buildings begin to take hits.  All this for $70,000??  Yes, and so with tongue slightly planted in cheek, Payback delivers an action-packed thriller with more than its share of dark humor.  Besides Mel Gibson's excellent work as the highly unpredictable (and very unstable) Porter, we also find entertaining supporting performances by William Devane, James Coburn, and Kris Kristofferson as "The Syndicate's" three top bosses.  Lucy Liu (from TV's "Ally McBeal") also delivers a hilarious performance as Val's sadomasochistic girlfriend, adding more twists to an already twisted world.  If all of this sounds like fun to you, then Payback is a film you definitely want to see. 

Before you rush right out and drag the whole family to this film, however, please note that Payback is an extremely bloody and gruesome picture...in fact, just slightly too bloody and gruesome for my tastes.  There are a handful of scenes in this film which are definitely not for the squeamish, and unfortunately these scenes tend to detract from the overall appeal of this picture.  Was that toe-smashing torture scene really necessary?  Who knows...but you'll find it in Payback, so consider yourself warned...

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

thilo.henn1@de.dreamcast.com gives this movie  stars: "fantastic entertainment...some jokes are unforgetable funny...ok its bloody but watch "braindead" ... mel gibson did great acting and i loved the toe-smashing scene(hehe)" (12/19/99)

loual@hotmail.com says: "Some slapstick,humor and comedy. Mostly fastpaced. All, entertaining. Saw it recently in toronto, canada and liked it." (6/11/99)

ronin_1981@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "This movie was one of the most entertaining movies I have seen in a long time" (2/10/99)