Payback MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -3

Porter (Mel Gibson) is a thief. Another thief, Val (Gregg Henry), double crosses Porter during a heist and steals Porter's half of the loot to buy his way back into a mob. Porter is left for dead, but survives. Now, Porter wants his half of the money back but he has to take on Val and the mob to get it. Aided by an old girlfriend, a high-priced prostitute named Rosie (Maria Bello), Porter will do whatever it takes to get his share of the money. This leads to a slue of gruesome run-ins against the mob. This dark, violent tale reminds viewers of Gibson's Mad Max films, but even fans may be turned away by the violence in PAYBACK.

Porter is a nice guy among bad guys. He only wants his share of the loot, but mob bosses think he wants the whole amount. Although his drug addict wife shoots him and leaves him for dead, his revenge is directed at Val, not her. He takes her drugs away, but she overdoses on a hidden injection. When her dealer visits, Porter rips his nose ring out to get information. The screen is filled with almost constant, graphic violence from the beginning as Porter's bloody body is operated on by a backroom doctor who pours whiskey over the wounds. Bloody bodies are shown during and after a car crash, shootings, explosions and beatings. Val is a sadist who likes to hit and kick people, including prostitutes. But he frequents a prostitute who also likes to hit. Porter wounds Val then steps on the wound to get information. He then puts a pillow over Val's head and shoots through it. Particularly gruesome, although off-screen, is a scene of a mobster hitting Porter's bare toes with a hammer. The dialogue is filled with foul language, including 49 f and s words and God's name used in vain 17 times. Female rear nudity is shown a couple of times by women in thong outfits, but sex is only implied once by a sadistic pair in bed. The foul language and graphic violence in PAYBACK make it an excruciatingly difficult experience to endure.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Ave. L.A. CA 90038