1999, 1 hr 50 min., Rated R for strong violence, language and drug and sexual content. Dir: Brian Helgeland. Cast: Mel Gibson (Porter), Gregg Henry (Val), Maria Bello (Rosie), Lucy Liu.

Somewhere out there is a generic, paint-by-numbers script that directors and producers copy and paste on their computers for a basic action movie. This is where we find Payback, only worth watching for Mel Gibson.

The action is cliche, no real surprises in the explosions and gunfights. Bad guys don't wear black hats anymore, they smoke. A lot. After awhile I began to think my lungs were crisp from the amount of cigarettes in Payback. And how do we know Mel is a badass? He doesn't leave a tip. Gasp! He bumps people on the stairs. Gasp! He takes a panhandlers money. Gasp!

We're supposed to root for the bad guy, Porter (Gibson), because the other bad guys are really really bad. And he was double-crossed by a friend and his wife, so he's a sad bad guy who just wants his $70,000 back. The bad guys are seldom seen, cliche in their evil manners (with a notable exception from James Coburn), and the guys we're supposed to hate keep increasing or changing.

Payback is dark, filmed in the shadows of a generic metropolis, with their crimeworld full of dull green and gray hues. It makes for a drab two hours. The only color shown is in the amount of blood coming from the violence.

Gibson is okay, a lovable bad guy who continues the action cliche as a tough ex-marine who can take the painful torture (namely from a hammer to his toes) and turn around a minute later to victory. But it's inconsistent. One scene Porter sneaks unnoticed into the hotel of the Syndicate, the next he's easily caught and beat up. Any detractions to Payback are no fault to Gibson, because he's the reason to see the film, looking cool in every scene.

The supporting cast helps out, such as the cops who are the anti-Crockett and Tubbs of "Miami Vice", Lucy Liu of "Ally McBeal" fame as a mistress and as mentioned before, Coburn, one of the leaders of the Syndicate.

Maria Bello is also one of few bright spots of the film, as Rosie, a high-class prostitute who has a history with Porter. She's an inspiring actress, and I wish she hadn't left "ER"! She and Carter had a future, whereas if he and Lucy Knight get together it'll piss me off! Sorry, I'm straying.