Payback

REVIEW
"That's just mean, man," Coburn's exasperated gangster chief declares as Gibson's determined thief bent on revenge shoots his expensive alligator luggage. That also ably describes this sadistic, loud and violent thriller which is competently made but doesn't know when enough is enough. Payback is based on Richard Stark's "The Hunter," the same source material for 1967's Point Blank. But it is there similarities end. John Boorman's tale was a moody noir; director Helgeland's is an abrasive action thriller tailored to its star's persona. Gibson is double-crossed and left for dead. He returns to get even and get money owed to him. In his search, he comes across an ex-wife, ex-mistress, crooked cops and underworld types -- most of whom meet some sinister end. Helgeland keeps the film rolling at a brisk pace, but its stylized shootings, torture and explosions become numbing after awhile.