Quick Movie Reviews
Rating of
1/4
Indyfreak - wrote on 08/14/2018
Coupled with gruesome violence and sophomoric humor that mistakes itself for sardonic wit, this glossy remake of POINT BLANK misses the point. Yea pun intended. Only interesting things about it are the increased agency of the female characters (played by then rising stars Maria Bello and Lucy Liu).
Rating of
2/4
Yojimbo - wrote on 05/19/2012
This semi-remake of Point Blank sees Mel Gibson robbed and left for dead by his wife and erstwhile partner and he promptly sets out for revenge. Once again Hollywood attempts to revisit film noir without understanding how it worked; noir was all about hardboiled dialogue and attitude, not macho posturing and ugly violence. It starts off well but soon descends into a collection of racial stereotypes, comedy S&M hookers and Laurel & Hardy-esque corrupt cops spouting cliches. Everything about this film feels second rate, from the drab photography to the B-grade supporting cast, from which only veteran tough guy James Coburn rises above the mundane. It has some decent moments, but give me Lee Marvin any time.
Rating of
1/4
mitchellyoung - wrote on 03/05/2012
Payback is a dark attempt at noir, without the creativity, wit, or visual cues that represent the best of the genre. Instead, the film is a brutal (often too brutal) and violent journey through a seedy world of crime and revenge. Anti-hero plots work well, but there has to be something - something at all - likable or interesting about the anti-hero for them to work. Here, Mel Gibson's character is often angry, sullen, and despicable and without someone to truly root for in the film, the revenge he exacts feels empty and cruel.
Rating of
2.5/4
Unknown - wrote on 11/14/2011
It's mostly mediocre material, but the actors and director give it that hard boiled noir-ish style. Paired with the violence and revenge plot, this makes 'Payback' more entertaining than it ought to be.
Rating of
1.5/4
Bribaba - wrote on 05/27/2011
A remake of John Boorman's Point Blank that is inferior in every respect. In place of Lee Marvin we now get Mad Mel Gibson, as laughable as ever when he tries to act tough. Even the Chicago setting feels wrong in comparison to the California of the earlier film. Indeed, the only useful purpose this terrible film serves is to illustrate how American film-making has declined in the thirty-two years since Boorman's film hit the screens. Note the careful story-telling in that film; the cinematography and prophetic comment on corporate anonymity. In it's place you get a piece of work that looks its been directed by a machine and scripted by a chimp.
Rating of
3/4
sapien - wrote on 12/02/2009
In this particular case, payback is NOT a bitch, it's a damn good movie! lol.
Rating of
2.5/4
WestIsBest - wrote on 11/18/2007
A pretty good crime movie with good performances but completely forgettable. I don't know if I'd ever bother watching it again but at least if I did I'd know I would enjoy it as much as I did originally as I won't remember what happened.
Rating of
2.5/4
Chris Kavan - wrote on 09/20/2007
Tough guy Mel is back as everyone's favorite anti-hero. Payback is a pretty fun film - violent, sometimes funny, but kind of a mess (due in no small part that a second director was brought in to re-shoot about 30 percent of the film).