Payback: Straight Up Blu-ray delivers stunning video and solid audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Mel Gibson gives an unforgettable performance in this explosive film from director Brian
Helgeland ('L.A. Confidential'), which features a superb supporting cast including William
Devane, Maria Bello and Lucy Liu. The Director's Cut allows you to see Payback like you've
never seen before: through the eyes of its director. Experience a different version of Porter's
(Gibson) drive to avenge those who took his money and leave him for dead. Witness the real
Payback.
Payback: Straight Up, a director's cut of the 1999 Mel Gibson film Payback, is,
from
all accounts, a decidedly darker, more violent, more unforgiving, more exploitative film than the
original. Having never seen the 1999 version, I have no basis for comparison, but this director's
cut
is certainly a superb piece of work. Hearkening back to the gritty, relentless look and feel of
1970s
action films such as Serpico, Taxi Driver, and Dirty Harry,
Payback: Straight Up succeeds in boldly telling a simple story of one man's
determination to set things right, retake what is his, and punish both those responsible for his
loss
and anyone who dares interfere with his task. A brutal film, Payback: Straight Up pulls
no
punches in its storytelling, creating an atmosphere that is decidedly at odds with your typical
Hollywood fare, especially one with an A-list lead actor headlining the film. There are no good
people
in this movie, no moral values, no life lessons, just a harsh, no nonsense portrayal of a
hard-nosed
nobody who just might have a sliver of honor in him, but a sliver only, and certainly a sliver more
than anyone else in the film.
Listen, Mel, I'd share, but you gotta bring your own chopsticks.
Porter (Mel Gibson, Signs) and his
colleague, Val (Gregg Henry, Star Trek: Insurrection) are small-time crooks
looking at a big score. Val is in need of $130,000 to buy is way into "the syndicate," (or "the
outfit"), a vague crime/mob ring that is never fully explained in the film but serves its purpose
nevertheless as the film quickly moves along towards its resolution. Porter and Val succeed in
the
hit, but discover the sum of the money they've stolen is only $140,000 -- leaving Val far short of
the money he owes the syndicate if he and Porter split the cash as agreed. With the help Porter's
ex-wife Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger, Silent Hill), Val
double-crosses Porter, who is shot and left for dead. Some time later, Porter finds
himself
recovered from his wounds and seeks out Val and his $70,000, not a penny more, and not a
penny
less. He'll encounter crime bosses, corrupt police officers, and a prostitute named Rosie (Maria
Bello, Coyote Ugly) along
the
way, but in the end, all he cares about is his money, and perhaps exacting some revenge on Val.
Payback: Straight Up feels like a throwback to the gritty, grimy, ugly action films of the
1970s complete with the perfect anti-hero. The open of the film does an excellent job of
establishing Porter's credentials as a con man and thief in one of the most entertaining
sequences I've seen in a long while, and the brass-y musical accompaniment is one more piece of
evidence that tells us the film is to be an homage to the great action films of the 70s. Then
again, the subsequent scene cements Porter's status as a scum bag as he severely beats his wife.
There is even a 1970s-ish dollar amount assigned to the price Porter is dead-set on
reclaiming: $70,000, an amount still large today, but larger by 70s standards. In fact, several
characters proclaim their shock when they discover Porter is risking it all for a measly $70,000
(and even mock him even when they believe he is after the full $130,000 Val paid to the
syndicate). Director Brian Helgeland (A Knight's Tale) has a
wonderful film here. It tells a very simple story, shot in a style that doesn't merely compliment
the story, but tells it. Payback: Straight Up would have completely failed as a film were it
shot in bright, clean, welcoming locales. The filthy, grimy look of the picture, as evidenced by not
only the filming locations but also in the heavy grain present over the picture, tells the story of
the desperation, despair, and relentlessness that is Porter's quest for payback.
Payback: Straight Up also works because the acting is uniformly fantastic. Mel Gibson is
excellent as always, this time bringing out a darker, more violent, and completely unfaltering and
cruel persona, the likes of which he's never really played before. He's done violent and tough, but
never quite like this. In The Patriot, Gibson
portrayed a capable but reluctant fighter; in Lethal Weapon, he
starred as a tough cop with a serious sense of humor; Gibson's Mad Max character is
perhaps the single one that most closely resembles Porter in terms of attitude and relentlessness,
but for something completely different, especially coming from a generally affable and well-liked
actor, Gibson's portrayal of Porter is unique in his career, and certainly unique for a leading man
of his caliber. Porter is arguably Gibson's best character and performance yet in his most
underrated movie to date. Complete with a cast of excellent character actors, including Gregg
Henry as Val (whose reaction to the news that Porter is still alive is priceless), David Paymer,
William Devane, James Coburn, and Bill Duke, Payback: Straight Up feels all the more
genuine and real thanks to the fine performances of these men.
Payback: Straight Up is an ugly, grainy presentation, and I loved it. Presented in 1080p
high definition and framed in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Paramount has delivered the goods
and
left the film's gritty look intact. To fully enjoy this film, expectations must be set appropriately
before beginning your screening. This is a rather hard transfer to judge if one is not intimately
familiar with the original work, but knowing what I know about the movie, and discussing it with
another person who has recently seen it, the consensus is that this is how it's supposed to look --
ugly. Considering the throwback nature of the film, the image here appears to be fairly accurate
with the director's vision for the film. I've not seen them, but based on the previews,
Payback:
Straight Up appears to offer a somewhat similar look and feel that was employed by
Death
Proof and
Planet Terror, two films that are also throwbacks to 70s exploitation, and were advertised
as such.
Onto the actual review of the image, one of the first things you'll notice is that colors are
generally drab, and while the film doesn't deliberately shy away from any one or series of colors,
their appearances are decidedly uninteresting and lacking in vibrancy. Softness is never a
problem in the foreground or on framed characters and objects. Facial detail is solid in its own
regard. It's not crystal-clear, but it is very nice considering the grimy look of the picture. Black
levels are fine, but shadow detail is only moderate. A few very minor drawbacks are evident on
the transfer,
including some ghosting on a few straight, brightly-lit objects and poor definition here and there
on foreground objects. At the end of the day, I loved the look of Payback,
and I also loved that Paramount wasn't afraid to show the film in all its grainy, dank,
director-intended look.
Paramount delivers Payback: Straight Up to Blu-ray with only one audio option: a Dolby
Digital 5.1 soundtrack. This lossy track is decidedly front-heavy but features a solid presence and
fidelity. Dialogue, the driving force behind the story, is crisp and intelligible. Everything syllable is
perfectly reproduced, be they words from a teary-eyed man on the wrong end of the barrel of
Porter's magnum revolver or angry words over a telephone speaker, there is never a problem in
discerning the spoken words heard throughout the film. The score flows neatly through the front
channels and sounds vibrant, but with just a bit of a harsh edge, no doubt another way the film
pays homage to the classics of the 70s. There is a bit of movement across the front soundstage;
the occasional car will move from right to left, or vice versa, but to little sonic effect past a simple
cursory notice of the sound's presence. Even in scenes where we would expect deeper bass, it's
not present. The lows seem to emanate more from the main left and right speakers rather than
the subwoofer, and there is a definite lack of punch in scenes where a character is hit by a car,
for example. A few gunshots offer quite the wallop, from single shots from a revolver or, one one
occasion, a fully automatic discharge of lead. Despite the front-heavy and lossy nature of the
soundtrack, this one is a solid listen that won't set your sound system on fire, but it is good
enough to excite your senses and draw you deeper into the movie.
Payback: Straight Up offers a nice array of extra features, headlined by a wonderful
commentary track from writer/director Brian Helgeland. He delves into the differences between
his
version of the film and the studio version, a few problems test screenings encountered (not
realizing
Porter was acting on principle), why he refused to shoot a different ending to the film, and plenty
of
other telling stories about the meaning and purpose of the film. He also offers up his take on the
philosophical undertones of the movie, the psyche and psychology of the characters, and other
assorted deeper insights into the film. This track is a must-listen for anyone who enjoyed the
movie. Next up is Paybacks are a B*tch (480p, 49:41), a two-part feature (On
Location in Chicago [30:02] and On Set in Los Angeles [19:39]) that examines
Helgeland's
personal background, the origins of the story, and more. There is a superfluous amount of
discussion about the film Conspiracy Theory which Helgeland wrote and Gibson starred
in.
Nevertheless, this feature is an entertaining watch that features interviews with the primary cast
and behind-the-scenes glances.
Same Story - Different Movie, Creating 'Payback: The Director's Cut' (480p, 28:56) is the
best and most fascinating feature on the disc. It is an in-depth look at the director's cut versus
the studio-sanctioned theatrical cut of the film. Helgeland and others offer a candid discussion of
why the studio was not pleased with this cut of the film; they envisioned it as more of a populist,
Lethal Weapon-esque, audience friendly picture. An entire third act was re-shot, and
included characters that weren't even in this original edit of the film, including Kris Kristofferson
(Planet of the Apes),
and removed Mel Gibson's voice-over. The theatrical cut is also Gibson's preferred cut of the film.
The feature also delves into the physical process of re-editing the film, which is fascinating in its
own right. One of the finest features I've ever seen, this is worth watching for anyone interested
in the inner-workings of Hollywood. Next is The Hunter: A Conversation With Author Donald
E. Westlake (480p, 10:47), a self-explanatory feature that showcases an interview with the
author of the novel upon which Payback is based. Rounding out the supplemental
package is a 1080p Paramount high definition promotional piece.
Mel Gibson has starred in some fantastic films in his career, and none may be as underrated as
Payback: Straight Up. Telling a very simple story in a powerful, complex manner,
overflowing with a robust list of A-list stars and character actors, so-ugly-its-beautiful direction and
set design, and a brisk 90 minute runtime that feels like nine minutes, Payback: Straight
Up is straight-up a fantastic movie that dares to be completely different from typical Hollywood
feel-good fare. Paramount delivers this film to Blu-ray with an ugly yet nearly pristine picture
quality, a decent audio mix, and an average set of extras. Highly recommended!
Warner Home Video has announced that it will release the theatrical cut of the dark thriller 'Payback' on Blu-ray in Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom on August 21, August 25 and September 21, respectively. Video will be presented in 1080p VC-1 accompanied ...
All countries
