History Film / Payback

Unfortunately for them, that wasn't the end. Instead of quietly dying of his wounds, Porter dragged himself off to a back alley doctor, took some time to recover from his wounds and traveled straight back to the city, itching for some serious payback.

Before the job went down, Val had convinced Lynn (who was tricked into believing Porter was having an affair) to help pull a double cross. Once the loot had been counted, Lynn shot Porter several times, Val took the money, and they both left Porter for dead.

Unfortunately for them, that wasn't the end. Instead of quietly dying after getting shot three times in the back, Porter dragged himself off to a back alley doctor, took some time to recover from his wounds and traveled straight back to the city, itching for some serious payback.

''Payback'' is a 1999 {{thriller}} directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Creator/MelGibson. It is the second adaptation of Richard Stark's ''[[Literature/{{Parker}} The Hunter]]'', the first of which being Creator/LeeMarvin's ''Film/PointBlank''.

''Payback'' is a 1999 {{thriller}} directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Creator/MelGibson. It is the second adaptation of [[Literature/{{Parker}} Richard Stark's The Hunter]], the first of which being Creator/LeeMarvin's ''Film/PointBlank''.

Now, with the help of Rosie (a hooker he used to drive years ago), Porter's back to claim his share of the job. It doesn't matter if he has to work his way through drug dealers, [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Triads]], [[DirtyCop bent cops]], TheSyndicate, and a mob-connected dominatrix who looks an awful lot like Creator/LucyLiu ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg oh, and]] [[ButtMonkey Stegman]], [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg too]]), Porter ''will'' get his $70,000.

[[caption-width-right:291:Get ready to root for [[VillainProtagonist a bad guy]].]]

[[caption-width-right:291:Get ready to root for [[VillainProtagonist the bad guy]].]]

Before the job went down, Val had convinced Lynn (who was tricked into believing Porter was having an affair) to help pull a double cross. Once the loot had been counted, Porter was shot several times, Val took the money, and they both left Porter for dead.

Unfortunately for them, that wasn't the end. After somehow managing to survive getting shot three times in the back, Porter recovered from his wounds and traveled straight back to the city, itching for some serious payback.

Now, with the help of Rosie (a hooker he used to drive years ago), Porter's back to claim his share of the boodle. It doesn't matter if he has to work his way through drug dealers, [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Triads]], [[DirtyCop bent cops]], TheSyndicate, and a mob-connected dominatrix who looks an awful lot like Creator/LucyLiu ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg oh, and]] [[ButtMonkey Stegman]], [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg too]]), Porter ''will'' get his $70,000.

In 2005, a director's cut of the film, entitled "Payback: Straight Up", was released on home video. This cut is notable for several reasons. For starters, it has a much warmer color palette, an entirely different musical score, and is noticeably shorter than the theatrical cut. However, the most striking difference between the two is the characterization of Porter himself. In the theatrical cut, Porter is a wise cracking thief with a hidden heart of gold who frequently gives voice over narration. In the Straight Up cut, Porter is a ruthless VillainProtagonist who never cracks a joke and almost exclusively looks out for himself (Rose being a possible exception).

* ChekhovsSkill: Also, Rosie asks whether Porter can stand up to [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique being tortured]]. [[spoiler:He can, in a way.]]

* CompressedVice: If Mrs. Porter was an addict before shooting Porter, the brief scenes and flashbacks don't show it, making her a FunctionalAddict at worst. She's since gone all the way to barely being able to walk because of all the drugs in her system.
* DeathByAdaptation: In the books, [[spoiler:Bronson doesn't die until two books after this story, and Fairfax survives and [[EnemyMine even helps Parker]] (Porter's literary equivalent) [[EnemyMine arrange a ceasefire with the Outfit]] in exchange for killing Bronson, who both Fairfax and his superior, Karns, want dead to take over the power vacuum. In the movie, both are blown up]].

* KickTheDog: Val literally shoots Rosie's dog, smacks her around, and talks about raping and beating her. If that's not enough for him to cross the MoralEventHorizon, we also can assume from some dialog that he has beaten Rosie and maybe other Syndicate call girls in the past, he keeps Mrs. Porter supplied with and hooked on drugs, and is casually racist.

Now, with the help of Rosie (a hooker he used to drive years ago), Porter's back to claim his share of the boodle. It doesn't matter if he has to work his way through drug dealers, [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Triads]], [[DirtyCop bent cops]], TheSyndicate, and a mob-connected dominatrix who looks an awful lot like Creator/LucyLiu ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg oh, and]] [[ButtMonkey Stegman]], [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg too]]), Porter ''will'' get his $70,00.

''Payback'' is a 1999 {{thriller}} directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Creator/MelGibson as Porter, a thief betrayed by his partner after a heist and determined to get revenge and more importantly, recover his $70,000 share of the takings.

Six months ago, Porter was a happy man. He was a successful but low-profile ConsummateProfessional thief who specialized in payroll jobs. He was married. Then he agreed to help out Val Resnick, a sadistic crook he'd worked with in the past, to steal some money from the Triads. The job goes perfectly, but it turns out that Val really needed all the money from the job, not half, and that Val used an old photo to trick Porter's wife into thinking Porter was having an affair with a prostitute named Rosie, who Porter used to drive for. The result is that when they meet up after the job, Porter's wife shoots him several times, Val takes the money, and they both leave Porter for dead.

Instead of dying, Porter managed to crawl off to a BackAlleyDoctor and spent a few months recovering from his wounds. Now he's back, and it doesn't matter if he has to work his way through drug dealers, prostitutes, [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Triads]], [[DirtyCop bent cops]], TheSyndicate, and a mob-connected dominatrix who looks an awful lot like Creator/LucyLiu ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg oh, and]] [[ButtMonkey Stegman]], [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg too]]), he's going to get his money back.

And just when it can't get any better, Creator/KrisKristofferson and Creator/JamesCoburn show up.

The film is based on the same [[Literature/{{Parker}} source material]] as Creator/LeeMarvin's ''Film/PointBlank''.

'''Porter:''' No, I just want my money back.(Turns and leaves)\\

'''Porter:''' Stop it, I'm getting misty. And tell him it's seventy, will ya? (Turns and leaves)\\
'''Fairfax:''' ''Seventy?!'' What do you mean it's only ''seventy?'' Seventy thousand? Hell, my suits are worth more than ''that!''

* DeathByAdaptation: In the books, [[spoiler:Bronson doesn't die until two books after this story and Fairfax survives and even helps Parker (Porter's literary equivalent) arrange a ceasefire with the Outfit in exchange for killing Bronson, who both Fairfax and his superior, Karns, want dead to take over the power vacuum. In the movie, both are blown up.]]

* DisappointedByTheMotive: A GrayAndBlackMorality (or BlackAndBlackMorality, in the Director's Cut) version of this Trope is the crux of the RunningGag: there is absolutely ''nobody'' willing to believe that Porter is willing and able to take on the entire criminal underworld of the city for an amount as low as $70,000 (they assume that ''at least'' it is for the $140,000 that the heist Val Resnick backstabbed Porter on gave out. Porter keeps on correcting them that it's just the $70,000 (to the point that when he's finally given the money, the fact it's $140,000 makes him do an exasperated eye roll)).

* FilmNoir: Both versions are this, but in different flavors. The theatrical cut has more violence, a tamer protagonist, a first person narration courtesy of Porter and has a metallic blue color filter that adds to the noir esque elements. The director's cut on the other hand has a more villainous Porter, a bleaker ending, and removes the blue filter which makes the story more like a Neo-Noir film.
* FlawExploitation: Porter uses this repeatedly against his opponents. When scouting the Triads he notes that they aren't wearing seat belts, and gets them into a bone jarring car crash. He ditches his gun before going in to meet Carter, so that Carter's security will relax and pay no attention to the [[ImprovisedWeapon roll of quarters]] in his pocket. He witnesses Bronson spoiling his kid Johnny and kidnaps Johnny to use that as leverage against Bronson. Etc.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Pearl]].

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Val throws out some casual anti-Chinese comments just to add more flavor to his character. "You know what the problem is with kicking a [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Chow's ass]]? An hour later you want to do it again!"

[[caption-width-right:291:Get ready to root for the bad guy.]]

'''Fairfax:''' ''Seventy''?! What do you mean it's only ''seventy''? Seventy thousand? Hell, my suits are worth more than ''that''!

Six months ago, Porter was a happy man. He was a successful but low profile ConsummateProfessional thief who specialized in payroll jobs. He was married. Then he agreed to help out Val Resnick, a sadistic crook he'd worked with in the past, to steal some money from the Triads. The job goes perfectly, but it turns out that Val really needed all the money from the job, not half, and that Val used an old photo to trick Porter's wife into thinking Porter was having an affair with a prostitute named Rosie, who Porter used to drive for. The result is that when they meet up after the job, Porter's wife shoots him several times, Val takes the money, and they both leave Porter for dead.

Instead of dying, Porter managed to crawl off to a BackAlleyDoctor and spent a few months recovering from his wounds. Now he's back, and it doesn't matter if he has to work his way through drug dealers, prostitutes, [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Triads]], [[DirtyCop bent cops]], TheSyndicate, and a mob connected dominatrix who looks an awful lot like Creator/LucyLiu, ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg oh and]] [[ButtMonkey Stegman]] [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg too]]) he's going to get his money back.

'''Bronson:''' Are you threatening me?\\

* AdaptationExpansion: Rosie is a fairly minor character in the source material, just an old acquaintance of Porter/Parker. Here, she's PromotedToLoveInterest. Also, the subplots involving the dirty cops and the Tongs are created wholesale for the film.
* AntiVillain (Type I): Porter is no white knight, he's a murderer and a thief out to steal back something he stole in the first place. He kills, mutilates, and brutalizes without mercy as a method to expedite his robbery. He just looks less tarnished than his sadistic, back-stabbing, racist, woman beating ex-partner. The Director's Cut loses even this distinction, and Porter is just a straight up villain, albeit the focus of the story.

* BatmanGambit: The climax of the film, in which Porter [[spoiler: fools Bronson and his men into going to the booby-trapped apartment]].

* BloodFromTheMouth: Porter does this at the end of the Director's Cut. [[spoiler: It's left ambiguous as to whether he survives]].
* BulletproofHumanShield: Porter briefly uses [[spoiler: Stegman]] as this, although instead of just standing there and letting his shield soak up bullets, Porter is immediately moving out of the way.

* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: The booby-trapped phone]].
* ChekhovsSkill: Also, Rosie asks whether Porter can stand up to [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique being tortured]]. [[spoiler: He can, in a way]].

* DeathByAdaptation: In the books, [[spoiler:Bronson doesn't die until two books after this story and Fairfax survives and even helps Parker (Porter's literary equivalent) arrange a ceasefire with the Outfit in exchange for killing Bronson, who both Fairfax and superior, Karns, want dead to take over the power vacuum. In the movie, both are blown up.]]

* DirtyCop: Two of them, refusing to believe that the stakes of Porter's job are as low as he claims, try to horn in on the operation and claim a cut of the money. [[spoiler: Porter swipes the badge of one and gets the other to put his fingerprints on a gun, then planted both on the body of a man killed with that gun. They get taken away by InternalAffairs.]]

* DisappointedByTheMotive: a GrayAndBlackMorality (or BlackAndBlackMorality, in the Director's Cut) version of this Trope is the crux of the RunningGag: there is absolutely ''nobody'' willing to believe that Porter is willing and able to take on the entire criminal underworld of the city for an amount as low as $70,000 (they assume that ''at least'' it is for the $140,000 that the heist Val Resnick backstabbed Porter on gave out. Porter keeps on correcting them that it's just the $70,000 (to the point that when he's finally given the money, the fact it's $140,000 makes him do an exasperated eye roll)).
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The opening of the movie is Porter being a dick. Jumping turnstiles, robbing a begging "crippled Vietnam veteran", stealing wallets, skipping out on lunch checks, not tipping...

* FilmNoir: Both versions are this, however in different flavors. The theatrical cut has more violence, a tamer protagonist, a first person narration courtesy of Porter and has a metallic blue color filter that adds to the noir esque elements. The director's cut on the other hand has a more villainous Porter, a bleaker ending, and removes the blue filter which makes the story more like a Neo-Noir film.

* GoingColdTurkey: When Porter finds his wife again, he plans to have her do this. Unfortunately she has more drugs hidden in the house and an overdose ensues.
* GunsAkimbo: Porter vs. the Triad minivan. [[RevolversAreJustBetter With revolver in one of his hands]].

* HumbleGoal: Everyone is surprised that Porter is only after $70,000. Most assume that he would at least want Val Resnick's share too. Others, like the [[CorruptCop dirty cops]], say that no one would go through this for such a low amount of money. Humorously it's even ''less'' in the original novel the movie's based on, only being about $40,000.
** However that novel was written in 1962, so the $45,000 at stake there would be worth just a touch under $250,000 in 1999 due to inflation. It was still a trivial amount to a nationwide criminal syndicate, but enough that they weren't in disbelief that he wanted to get it back like in the film.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Porter is a ruthless all around cad, but in the theatrical version he does genuinely love Rosie and the closing narration makes clear that he's considering a new line of work. The director's cut is something of an aversion, and has some extra KickTheDog moments not in the theatrical, including [[spoiler: Porter beating the hell out of his wife]].
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Pearl]].
* KickTheDog: Val literally shoots Rosie's dog, smacks her around, talks about raping and beating her. If that's not enough for him to cross the MoralEventHorizon, we also can assume from some dialog that he has beaten Rosie and maybe other Syndicate call girls in the past, he keeps Mrs. Porter supplied with and hooked on drugs, and is casually racist.

* TheMobBossIsScarier: Notably averted. Whenever someone says that they can't give Porter information because the Outfit will kill them, Porter always has the same response "What do you think ''I'm'' going to do to you? Worry about me."

* ReCut: The Directors Cut removes the narration, cuts certain scenes and completely changes the ending of the film.
* RunningGag: No one ever seems to get that Porter doesn't want the whole $140,000, just the 70k that was his share. He keeps reminding them... sometimes violently.

* TheStoic: Porter, of course. There are a couple of other cases too, most notably Carter, [[spoiler: who barely emotes even when Porter shoots him]].
* TheSyndicate: It's the Outfit baby, we don't say Syndicate anymore.

* VillainProtagonist: The main character is definitely a bad guy. In fact there is no hero in the movie, only shades of villain. The Director's Cut makes this even clearer.

* XanatosSpeedChess: Porter mixes between planning things ahead and winging it when needed. And when a complication comes up, he finds new ways to deal with it. Best shown when [[spoiler: the Outfit's goons grab him after he reveals that he's kidnapped Bronson's son, negating Porter's plan. He comes up with a new one in the middle of being tortured and leads them into a trap.]]

''Payback'' is a 1999 thriller directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Creator/MelGibson as Porter, a thief betrayed by his partner after a heist and determined to get revenge and more importantly, recover his $70,000 share of the takings.

* DisappointedByTheMotive: a GrayAndBlackMorality (or BlackAndBlackMorality, in the Director's Cut) version of this Trope is the crux of the RunningGag: there is absolutely ''nobody'' willing to believe that Porter is willing and able to take on the entire criminal underworld of the city for an amount as low as $70,000 (they assume that ''at least'' it is for the $140,000 that the heist Val Resnick backstabbed Porter on gave out. Porter corrects them that it's just the $70,000).

[[caption-width-right:291:[-Get ready to root for the bad guy.-] ]]

''Payback'' is a 1999 thriller starring Creator/MelGibson as Porter, a thief betrayed by his partner after a heist and determined to get revenge and more importantly, recover his $70,000 share of the takings.

* BadAss: Porter, probably even more than Parker considering that in the theatrical cut, he not only kills three of the main outfit leaders, ''he also actually gets his $70,000 back!''

'''''Payback''''' is a 1999 thriller starring Creator/MelGibson as Porter, a thief betrayed by his partner after a heist and determined to get revenge and more importantly, recover his $70,000 share of the takings.

* DisappointedBytTheMotive: a GrayAndBlackMorality (or BlackAndBlackMorality, in the Director's Cut) version of this Trope is the crux of the RunningGag: there is absolutely ''nobody'' willing to believe that Porter is willing and able to take on the entire criminal underworld of the city for an amount as low as $70,000 (they assume that ''at least'' it is for the $140,000 that the heist Val Resnick backstabbed Porter on gave out. Porter corrects them that it's just the $70,000).

** And after stealing cigarettes from a waitress, he still stops on his way out of the diner to get the two cents' change of his payment (when it may have been more practical to leave them). This (and his narration at the beginning) shows him as a man who, when he says he's owed $70,000, yes, he means it's ''exactly'' $70,000, and he's willing to do for those $70,000 what other people would do for at least a million (which is why none of the other crooks believe him).

* RunningGag: No one ever seems to get that Porter doesn't want the whole $140,000, just the 70k that was his share. He keeps reminding them.

** And after stealing cigarettes from a waitress, he still stops on his way out of the diner to get the two cents' change of his payment (when it may have been more practical to run). This (and his narration at the beginning) shows him as a man who, when he says he's owed $70,000, yes, he means it's ''exactly'' $70,000, and he's willing to do for those $70,000 what other people would do for at least a million (which is why none of the other crooks believe him).