|
Payback (I) (1999) 7.0
Ratings:
7.0/10 from 80,765 users
Metascore: 46/100
Reviews: 372 user | 146 critic | 24 from Metacritic.com Porter is shot by his wife and best friend and is left to die. When he survives he plots revenge. Director:Brian Helgeland |
| 0Share... |
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Payback (1999)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Man on Fire
(2004)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Tony Scott
Stars:
Denzel Washington,
Dakota Fanning,
Marc Anthony
Batman Begins
(2005)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Crime
Director:
Christopher Nolan
Stars:
Christian Bale,
Michael Caine,
Liam Neeson
Action
|
Crime
|
Thriller
Director:
Pierre Morel
Stars:
Liam Neeson,
Maggie Grace,
Leland Orser
Escape from Alcatraz
(1979)
Crime
|
Drama
|
History
Director:
Don Siegel
Stars:
Clint Eastwood,
Patrick McGoohan,
Roberts Blossom
Patriot Games
(1992)
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Phillip Noyce
Stars:
Harrison Ford,
Anne Archer,
Patrick Bergin
Hostage
(2005)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Mystery
Director:
Florent-Emilio Siri
Stars:
Bruce Willis,
Kevin Pollak,
Jimmy Bennett
Street Kings
(2008)
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
David Ayer
Stars:
Keanu Reeves,
Forest Whitaker,
Hugh Laurie
Speed
(1994)
Action
|
Thriller
Director:
Jan de Bont
Stars:
Keanu Reeves,
Dennis Hopper,
Sandra Bullock
Kiss of the Dragon
(2001)
Action
|
Crime
|
Thriller
Director:
Chris Nahon
Stars:
Jet Li,
Bridget Fonda,
Tchéky Karyo
Running Scared
(2006)
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Wayne Kramer
Stars:
Paul Walker,
Cameron Bright,
Vera Farmiga
A History of Violence
(2005)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
David Cronenberg
Stars:
Viggo Mortensen,
Maria Bello,
Ed Harris
Last Man Standing
(1996)
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Walter Hill
Stars:
Bruce Willis,
Bruce Dern,
William Sanderson
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Mel Gibson | ... | ||
| Gregg Henry | ... | ||
| Maria Bello | ... | ||
| David Paymer | ... | ||
| Bill Duke | ... | ||
| Deborah Kara Unger | ... | ||
| John Glover | ... | ||
| William Devane | ... | ||
| Lucy Liu | ... |
Pearl
(as Lucy Alexis Liu)
|
|
| Jack Conley | ... | ||
| Kris Kristofferson | ... | ||
 |
Mark Alfa | ... |
Johnny's Friend #2
|
| Kwame Amoaku | ... |
Radioman
|
|
| Justin Ashforth | ... |
Michael, Bartender #1
|
|
|
|
Len Bajenski | ... |
Fairfax Bodyguard #1
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Porter is bad, but his neighbours are worse. Street-wise and tough, an ex-marine, he is betrayed by a one-time partner, and shot in the back by his junkie wife. He survives and returns, looking to recover his share from the robbery of an Asian crime gang. The money has passed into the hands of "the Outfit", a slick gangster organisation that runs the city. He has to make his way through a world populated by heroin dealers, prostitutes, sado-masochists, gunmen and crooked cops, a place where torture is a way of life. His only friend is a former employer, a prostitute, and her loyalty is in question, given she now works for the Outfit. He makes good early progress, but then falls into the hands of Fairfax, the crime boss. Written by Kwah-LeBaire
Taglines:
Get ready to cheer for the bad guy! See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for strong violence, language, and drug and sexual content | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
5 February 1999 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Porter See more »Box Office
Budget:
$50,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
£1,181,026 (UK) (26 March 1999)Gross:
$81,517,441 (USA) (9 July 1999)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (director's cut)Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Porter: [voiceover] GSW: that's what the hospitals call it: gunshot wound. Doctor has to report it to the police. That makes it hard for guys in my line to get what I call, quality health care.
See more »
Written by Moe Jaffe, Harry Tobias and Larry Vincent
Performed by Lou Rawls
Courtesy of Blue Note Records
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
According to the director commentary, James Coburn found the prop cigars his character was supposed to use unfit for smoking. So, he went into Mel Gibson's trailer (Gibson wasn't there, as he wasn't scheduled for shooting at that moment) and helped himself to a few of Gibson's cigars. See more »Goofs
You can't ignite liquid gasoline with a lit cigarette. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Porter: [voiceover] GSW: that's what the hospitals call it: gunshot wound. Doctor has to report it to the police. That makes it hard for guys in my line to get what I call, quality health care.
See more »
Soundtracks
"If I Had My Life to Live Over"Written by Moe Jaffe, Harry Tobias and Larry Vincent
Performed by Lou Rawls
Courtesy of Blue Note Records
See more »
Yes - Payback & Point Blank (1967) are very similar. But there is a very good reason for that. Both films are based on the novel 'The Hunter' by Richard Stark, a pseudonym for Donald E Westlake.
The films share several character names such as Brewster, Carter, Stegman and Fairfax and similar plots. In both cases the anti-hero Porter (or Walker) is trying to recover a sum of money after being double-crossed.
Now, I am a huge fan of Point Blank. It takes a relatively simple plot and makes a bit of cinematic poetry out of it. And if I was forced to compare Lee Marvin and Mel Gibson's performances, then I'm sorry but Gibson would lose big time. However, Payback is a much better film than I thought it would be. There are sufficient differences to make the story interesting and though it is told in a much more straightforward and, dare I say, 'safe' way than Point Blank, it is a very well made film and tells a compelling story well. And it's nice to see Gibson return to a somewhat morally ambiguous character a la Mad Max.