Helgeland gets 'Payback' on Gibson

"Payback" was a good flick but far from a great one. It had its moments, but it really couldn't hold a candle to 1967's "Point Blank," which it is a remake of, replacing the ice-cold Lee Marvin with a brooding yet snappy Mel Gibson. What I never knew though was "Payback" was butchered by Gibson due to some of the graphic content, and an altogether new third act was shot after director/screenwriter Brian Helgeland had the film taken from him. \nNow we are finally treated to Helgeland's restored vision, under the title "Payback: Straight Up," in which Gibson plays Porter, a professional robber left for dead by his ex-partner-in-crime Val Resnick (Gregg Henry) and former wife Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger), who manages to survive two shots in the back and comes calling for the $70K which is owed him. Turns out Resnick has bought his way into the local crime syndicate, so now Porter has plenty of other folks to put a bullet in if he wants his cash.\n"Straight Up" feels almost like an entirely different movie. Gone are most of the blue/gray tones coating the screen and Gibson's awkward narration. The two major scenes that Gibson didn't agree with, those being his physical assault on a doped-up Unger and Resnick's killing of a dog, are rightfully restored. I'm not a fan of violence against women or animals, but these scenes, especially Gibson's attack, add a darker layer to the characters populating this yarn. \nAbout that changed third act mentioned earlier: In the theatrical release, Gibson seeks out syndicate boss "Bronson" (Kris Kristofferson) and kidnaps his son in order to get his money back, the end result being Gibson is severely tortured before he blows the syndicate to pieces with a bomb and lives to tell the tale. In "Straight Up," "Bronson" is actually a woman whose face we never see and Gibson spends the final minutes of the film navigating the subway system taking out every man he comes across. He finally gets his money, but he also takes a few rounds in the stomach, and we're left with the ambiguity of whether or not he'll live.\nHelgeland shows up for a commentary track, but having disowned the theatrical cut, he never bothers to comment on that version. There are also four featurettes covering the filming in Los Angeles and Chicago, an interview with author Donald E. Westlake whose "The Hunter" inspired "Point Blank" and "Payback," and a making of the director's cut. What is so important in this latter segment is that Gibson actually shows up to discuss the changes to the film, and for this he gets my respect.\n"Payback: Straight Up" is the way to go if you've never seen the film before, although I recommend watching both versions just to see what the power of editing can do to completely alter one's take on a film.