Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6788 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-09-20
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Full Screen, PAL
• Subtitled in: English, Romanian, Arabic, Bulgarian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
If it weren't for the fact that John Boorman's Point Blank was already a definitive take on Richard Stark's novel The Hunter (reissued under the title Payback), Payback would be a well-above-average 90s action movie. The original toughness is diluted: Mel Gibson's Porter, replacing Lee Marvin's Walker and Stark's Parker, comes on like a hardnut but turns into a softie when he hooks up with call-girl Maria Bello (and he even likes dogs). Double-crossed and wounded after shifty Gregg Henry dupes Porter's wife (Deborah Kara Unger) into betraying him, Porter sets out to get back the $70,000 share of a heist that he feels he is owed. Because Henry has used the money to buy his way into "the Outfit", he has to deal not only with the squirming scumbag but a hierarchy of corporate mobsters (William Devane, James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson) for whom it would be bad business practice to hand over even the trivial sum. Director-writer Brian Helgeland gives it a steely-blue look and gets good performances all round (with room for Lucy Liu as an amusing dominatrix) while constructing a story in which everything fits. But it's just a good thriller, since the masterpiece potential has already been staked out. --Kim Newman

Video Description
DVD Special Features

Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Interview Clips with M. Gibson, M. Bello, L. Liu, J. Coburn
Language in Dolby Digital 5.1: English
Subtitles: English/Arabic/Bulgarian/English for the hearing impaired

Synopsis
Mel Gibson plays Porter, a ruthless criminal, who is gunned down by his wife and friend after they rob an Oriental 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 Oriental gang, who are out for a bit of revenge themselves. Bloody and violent.

Customer Reviews

a very enjoyable gangster flick
Think Lock stock crossed with Lethal weapon 4. payback is a stylish, comic gangster noir. as you may (hopefully) have gathered from the title payback is a film about Mel gibson, a gangster screwed over by two accomplises (one of them happening to be his junkie mrs) and well...not really exacting vengance but trying to reclaim the 70.000 dollars that was his share of the money that was taken from him. this film is not serious but very stylish and enjoyable.

8/10

Mel at his best
I thought this movie was brilliant. Mel is a world weary bad boy who just wants his just desserts - no more , no less. My favourite line was when the dominatrix told him she had a few minutes to spare. Mel looked totally disinterested and said 'Go boil an egg'. Great!

Delightful and perverse experience!
Payback is a gritty, intense and slow-paced action movie. Mel Gibson plays Porter, a guy who will stop at nothing for his payback. The plot just seemed to get better and better with more twists as the movie progressed. Mel Gibson is great as the ruthless Porter, but equally worthy of mention are William Devane's performance as Carter, the crime boss, and Lucy Liu as a dominatrix. Incredible as the acting may be, the action scenes are very well done. The movie is of a very old style. Blue tint throughout the film with a classic soundtrack. You really have to be in the mood for this one. Overall, Payback is a very good movie, enjoyable and well worth watching.