Payback - Straight Up: The Director's Cut (1999)

  Originally Written 

Monday, January 28, 2008

 

Payback is a film riddled with controversy in terms of which version is the stronger competitor. The director's cut is hailed by some as darker, grittier and more satisfying, while others take the stance that it's a cut that speaks for itself in terms of why it never saw the light of day until now. This is the version Mel Gibson supposedly didn't like, and the original direction the director was headed in before he was ultimately canned by the movie studio. I've never seen the original version so I can only speak of what I've seen, but if Mel Gibson didn't like this version then his claims may be warranted.

   

Gibson plays Porter, a small time crook who gets two-timed by his wife and partner for the sum of $70,000. Porter miraculously survives multiple gunshot wounds to the back and six months later is up and running again, with only one goal... revenge. He wants his $70,000 (no more, no less) and he'll go anywhere and fight anyone who stands in his way.

   

Payback had me bored most of the time. The first hour drags heavily with boring conversations that never seem to accelerate the plot. The character of Porter comes across as a big wuss, gets beat up a lot and isn't particularly funny when he tries to be. These types of roles are usually where Mel Gibson shines, but I wasn't getting anything out of the character of Porter, also the character of Val Resnick was incredibly annoying and was responsible for much of the drivel in the first hour. The final 30 minutes picks up tremendously and the movie becomes a little more enjoyable, the story finally goes somewhere, the action is engaging and Gibson's character becomes what he should have been at the beginning of the film. Although 30 minutes of average entertainment doesn't make up for 60 minutes of drudge, plus the conclusion ends abruptly and leaves you a little confused. Overall, if the original version is indeed better it may be worth checking out, but is it really that different of a film? 

5/10