Review of Payback (1999) by Benjamin G — 22 Apr 2009

After a turbulent and high-profile production that was rumored to have been reshot by star Mel Gibson, the final cut of Payback is certainly a letdown on many levels. Although he's played a wide range of characters, Mel Gibson is best known for portraying lovable loose cannons that strive for justice.

In Payback, Gibson attempts to create a murderous anti-hero who steals, cheats, and cavorts with hookers and sadists. Tossing aside political correctness, he toys with his own screen image and assumes the role of a stone-cold villain and outlaw.

The concept is compelling, but the movie fails to capitalize on this interesting premise. Payback is an empty, rarely engaging thriller that desperately tries to fuse classic film noir with '70s-era exploitation.

Even though it was based on the brilliant 1967 film Point Blank, it doesn't even compare to the Lee Marvin and John Boorman thriller. Gibson's film seems sordid, empty, and vacuous, where Point Blank was stylish, mysterious, and suspenseful.

Although moments in Payback are supposed to be comic, the audience is relentlessly inundated with brutal, meaningless violence. When Gibson's character isn't slaughtering his foes, he's getting shot, pummeled, or mangled with a mallet.

While these moments should work on the basic noir level, the film clearly needs more humor to soften the mean-spirited violence. Lucy Liu (Ally McBeal) portrays an amusing dominatrix, but James Coburn steals the show in a brief cameo.

First-time director Brian Helgeland, writer of L.A. Confidential, succeeds in creating a gritty, retro world, but his direction is sloppy and the character relationships are contrived. A decent debut effort, it simply can't compare to John Boorman's exhilarating masterpiece.