| Payback Review |
| by Ross Anthony |
| Paying homage to the likes of Dirty Harry, Charles Bronson and Starsky and
Hutch ... "Payback" is a "Death Wish" of the '90s. Opening with a late '60s
secret-agent theme and filmed in a grainy bluish hue, the film has a 70's
feel without sticking plastic...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Brandon Stahl |
| Payback (* 1/2 out of four)
Starring Mel Gibson, Maria Bello, Kris Kristofferson
Written by Donald E. Westlake, adapted from the novel The Hunter, written by
Richard Stark
Directed by Brian Helgeland more |
| Payback Review |
| by Curtis Edmonds |
| "But there is still too much violence on our nation's screens, large and
small. Too many creators and purveyors of violence say there is nothing
they can do about it.
And there are still too many vulnerable children who are steeped in this
culture of...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Matt Williams |
| Mel Gibson takes on his most unsympathetic role yet in the action
thriller, Payback. Based on Richard Stark's novel, The Hunter,
previously shot in 1967 as the Lee Marvin thriller Point Blank, Payback
tells the tale of a bad guy out for revenge. The...more |
| Payback Review |
| by David E. Smith |
| With an ad slogan like "Get ready to root for the bad guy," it's
clear that "Payback" isn't going to be a happy, uplifting movie. But the
ads do it a terrible injustice; it is downbeat, and has its fair share of
action, but it's also a thoughtful,...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Joe Chamberlain |
| In the grand scheme of Mel Gibson movies, Payback was better than Conspiracy
Theory, but not as good as Braveheart or Lethal Weapon. In other words, it's
a decent couple of hours of entertainment, but 20 years from now if a they
compile a list of Mel...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Luke Buckmaster |
| PAYBACK
Cast: Mel Gibson, Maria Bello, Gregg Henry, James Coburn, Kris
Kristofferson, William Devane, David Paymer, Deborah Kara Unger
Director: Brian Helgeland
Screenplay: Terry Hayes and Brian Helgeland based on The Hunter by
Richard Stark
Reviewed by...more |
| Payback Review |
| by John Smyth |
| When Porter (Mel Gibson) and his partner Val Resnick (Gregg Henry) rob a
bunch of Chinese mobsters, the last thing Porter expects is to be left
for dead, having been double-crossed by Val and shot in the back by his
wife, Lynn (Deborah Unger). He...more |
| Payback Review |
| by David Wilcock |
| A 'sort of' remake of the Lee Marvin classic Point Blank, Payback is an
overly violent, egotistical vehicle for Mel Gibson. Although the movie
offers some laughs, this film is too hit and miss to be truly enjoyable.
Gibson plays Porter, a 'nice guy' who...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Jamie Peck |
| PAYBACK
Reviewed by Jamie Peck
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating: **1/2 (out of ****)
Paramount / 1:41 / 1999 / R (edgy violence, langauge, sexuality, drugs)
Cast: Mel Gibson; Maria Bello; Gregg Henry; James...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Matt Prigge |
| Starring: Mel Gibson, Maria Bello, Gregg Henry, David Paymer, Deborah
Kara Unger, Lucy Alexis Liu, William Devane, John Glover, James Coburn,
Kris Kristoferson, Bill Duke, Jack Conley more |
| Payback Review |
| by Dennis Schwartz |
| PAYBACK (director: Brian Helgeland; cast:(Porter) Mel Gibson, (Val)
Gregg Henry, (Rosie) Maria Bello, (Stegman) David Paymer,(Lynn) Deborah
Kara Unger, (Carter) William Devane,
(Bronson) Kris Kristofferson, (Mr. Fairfax) James Coburn, (Crooked Cop)
Bill...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Nigel Bridgeman |
| It is always refreshing to see a superstar actor who gets paid more than
enough to forget about working for a living to want to take a chance and
play a less-than-savoury character as Mel Gibson does in Payback. Of
course, if I was being paid $25 million...more |
| Payback Review |
| by James Brundage |
| I'm a man of firsts. I am the first to make strange comparisons, the first
to make a writing style composed entirely of hybridization (my own dubbing
being the "mockingbird" style, after a Tom Robbins simile in his novel
"Skinny Legs and All"). I'm...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Greg King |
| PAYBACK (M).
(Warner Bros/Village Roadshow)
Director: Brian Helgeland
Stars: Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, Kris Kristofferson, James
Coburn (uncredited), David
Paymer, Bill Duke, William Devane, Lucy Liu, Deborah Kara Unger
Running time: 104...more |
| Payback Review |
| by R.L. Strong |
| Paramount Pictures presents an ICON production of a Brian Helgeland film
Mel Gibson "PAYBACK" Deborah Unger David Paymer Bill Duke
Kris Kristofferson Edited by Kevin Stitt Music by Chris Boardman
Executive Producer: Stephen McEveety...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Ram Samudrala |
| /Payback/ happens to be the first film I saw that was released in
1999. This isn't because I am not watching many films; on the
contrary, it's because I've not found the movies released thus far
(it's mid-February) very appealing. I went into /Payback/...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Akiva Gottlieb |
| rated R
starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, David Paymer, Deborah Unger
written by Brian Helgeland and Terry Hayes
based on the novel "The Hunter" by Donald E. Westlake(as Richard Stark)
directed by Brian Helgeland more |
| Payback Review |
| by Steve Kong |
| Payback is a style-over-substance film and being so it falls into two
distinct categories: the occasional good one that is highly entertaining
or, more often then not, one that completely fails to entertain and realize
only on style to skate by. Which is...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Edwin Jahiel |
| PAYBACK *** Directed by Brian Helgeland. Written by Helgeland and Terry
Hayes, from the novel "The Hunter," by Richard Stark. Photography, Ericson
Core. Editing, Kevin Stitt. Production design , Richard Hoover. Music,
Chris Boardman. Produced by Bruce...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Craig Roush |
| Release Date: February 5, 1999
Starring: Mel Gibson, Maria Bello, Gregg Henry, David Paymer, Deborah
Kara Unger, Kris Kristofferson, Lucy Alexis Liu, William Devane, James
Coburn
Directed by: Brian Helgeland
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
MPAA...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Mark R Leeper |
| Capsule: Several months ago Porter, played by
Mel Gibson, was double-crossed and left for dead
after he participated in a robbery. He wants his
$70,000 share and is willing to burn down or kick
his...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Michael Redman |
| There's an ancient occult art know as "glamour". Casting a spell of glamour
creates an illusion that hides the truth. The enchantment can make the plain
appear beautiful and a falsehood seem real. Leading practitioners of glamour
in the late Twentieth...more |
| Payback Review |
| by David Sunga |
| Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 4.0)
********************************
Key to rating system:
2.0 stars - Debatable
2.5 stars - Some people may like it
3.0 stars - I liked it
3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie
4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Bill Chambers |
| starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, Kris Kristofferson
screenplay by Brian Helgeland and Terry Hayes, based on the novel "The
Hunter" by Richard Stark
directed by Brian Helgeland more |
| Payback Review |
| by Ryan Ellis |
| An early winner in 1999 is "Payback". Now, any film with Mel
Gibson taking credit as the star is a pretty solid bet to rake in
a few bucks, but I didn't expect much from this picture. It's
ironic that Mel's character in "Payback" is interested in...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Nick Amado |
| Review: Payback
Starring: Mel Gibson, Maria Bello, James Coburn, Gregg Henry, William Devane, David Paymer, Kris Kristofferson
Directed by Brian Helgeland
Approx 110 min more |
| Payback Review |
| by Walter Frith |
| The last time Mel Gibson played anything resembling the heavy in
'Payback' was in 1988's 'Tequila Sunrise'. That was a soft core
examination of a drug dealer and his relationship with a childhood
friend who became a cop and the film also involved what...more |
| Payback Review |
| by Homer Yen |
| Don’t mess with Porter (Mel Gibson) because if you do, he’ll take
matters into his own hands in a moment’s notice. Don’t cross him
because if you do, you’re going to feel his wrath. Don’t steal from
him, because if you do, he will stop at nothing to...more |
| Payback Review |
| by James Sanford |
| If you're shocked by the mayhem Mel Gibson perpetrates in "Payback,"
keep in mind that Gibson first rose to international stardom in
director George Miller's "Mad Max" movies, deliriously violent
spectaculars in which the only rule seemed to be "kill or...more |
