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    WSR Detailed DVD Review
    Payback


    Straight Up: The Director's Cut
    Genre: Action Adventure

    Reviewed In Issue 121 (Jun 2007) Of Widescreen Review®

    Stars:
    Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, David Paymer, Bill Duke, Deborah Kara Unger, John Glover, William Devane, Lucy Alexis Liu, Jack Conley & Kris Kristofferson

    WSR Review Scores
    WSR Picture Rating: 4
    DD Sound Rating: 4.5
    DTS Sound Rating: NR
    Download WSR Review
    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score: 3.5
    Internet Links


    Special Features
    Special features include commentary by Writer/Director Brian Helgeland, the two-part (On Location In Chicago and On Set In Los Angeles) 50-minute Paybacks Are A Bitch featurette, the 29-minute Same Story-Different Movie, Creating Payback: The Director


     DVD General Information

    (Studio/Distributor): Paramount Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number): 04116
    (MPAA Rating): Unrated
    (Rating Reason):
    (Retail Price): $19.99
    (DVD Type): Single Side, Dual Layer (DVD9)
    (Widescreen Edition): Yes
    (Full Screen Edition): No
    (Anamorphic Widescreen): Yes
    (Running Time In Minutes): 90
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Regional Coding): 1
    (Theatrical Year): 1998
    (Theatrical Release): Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release): No
    (DVD Release Date): 04/10/07
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

     Credits Information

    (Director): Brian Helgeland
    (Screenplay/Written By): Subscribe Now!
    (Story): Subscribe Now!
    (Music): Subscribe Now!
    (Director Of Photography): Subscribe Now!
    (Production Designer): Subscribe Now!
    (Visual Effects): Subscribe Now!
    (Costume Designer): Subscribe Now!
    (Editor): Subscribe Now!
    (Supervising Sound Editors): Subscribe Now!
    (Re-Recording Mixers): Subscribe Now!
    (Executive Producers): Subscribe Now!
    (Co-Producers): Subscribe Now!
    (Producers): Subscribe Now!
    (Academy Awards): Subscribe Now!

      DVD Picture Information

    (Principal Photography): Subscribe Now!
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!
    (Measured DVD Anamorphic Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!
    (Measured DVD Letterbox Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!

      DVD Sound Information

    (DVD Soundtrack): Subscribe Now!
    (Theatrical Sound): Subscribe Now!
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      WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Based on the novel The Hunter by Richard Stark, Payback stars Mel Gibson as Porter, a hard-boiled career criminal who is out to settle a score. Left for dead by his partners after they double-cross him and rob him of his cut of $70,000, Porter wants revenge. Our tough but lovable antihero will stop at nothing to get his money back

    DVD Picture:
    Compared to the previously reviewed DVD, the anamorphically enhanced 2.32:1 DVD does not seem to have changed much, in respect to picture quality. The images are intentionally hard edged, and colors are desaturated for a very stylized appearance, but fine details are not delivered as well as the best releases can be. Only minor compression pixelization is apparent, with images occasionally appearing digital, but otherwise the transfer is pleasing. The imagery is very artistic and intriguing. (Gary Reber/Danny Richelieu)

    Soundtrack:
    The Dolby

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