Payback (1999)

Rewatched 12/19/23 (The Internet)

Though few and far between in both of these movies, the dizzyingly analog gunplay and explosions are what jump out the most, leaving such a satisfying mark that you don’t care that you’ve seen this same plot 20 times. Gibson’s pitch-perfect delivery of the vulgar and mean, nearly clever tough-guy Westlake dialogue more than makes up for that same lack of originality. Highly pleasurable content.

This one’s a classic. The book that it’s based on being as solidly straightforward and no-nonsense as it is, plugging Mel into the role of Parker/Porter is a match made in heaven, one Mel imbues with that amazing ability he has to somehow appear as insane and relatable in the same strokes. Bouncing back and forth in this between harbinger of death and goofy underdog who loses more than he wins, not many actors could pull off the dynamic he’s asked to pull off.

When it comes to which cut’s better, there’s a lot to recommend for both. Theatrical probably gets the edge for me with the painterly cold blue color palette (shot on film, ugh, this movie looks beautiful), Kris Kristofferson, more William Devane (I think?), and the satisfaction of the ending scheme to get outta town while crossing Porter’s enemies off the list.

Payback: Straight Up, however I may feel about removing Kristofferson and that blue dream of a sheen, packs more of those brilliant gunfights into its runtime, which are, as mentioned earlier, just the chef’s kiss of gunfights. Both hard-hitting and hilariously cartoony, every squeeze of the trigger and its consequences are felt through devastating squibs, on-point stunt work, and wonderfully flamboyant reactions by this loaded cast. Setting a Gibson-led, gritty revenge thriller like this in Chicago with this wonderfully deranged of a gallery of character actors is a cause for celebration, and I’ll do so by watching this many more times and most likely reading a few more of the novels. Westlake was da man—still bummed we never got James Bond: Forever and a Death.

8.25/10