Mel Gibson seems to enjoy playing the role of complete lunatic. The movie Payback is no different, as Mel's character Porter is fucking nuts.
Porter is a big-city crook who steals $140 thousand from yet more crooks with one of his friends and his wife. Unfortunately, they shoot him in the back, take his money, and he is left for dead. The rest of the movie is Porter trying to get revenge (and his half of the money).
Even though Porter's a thief and quite certifiable, you can't help but feel bad for him. All he wants is his money, but people keep trying to kill him. At least he keeps a sense of humor about him while killing everybody else first.
This movie has a lot of senseless violence, but at least half of it is funny. There are also a few touching moments spread throughout the movie, giving it a blend of action, comedy, and drama that should please all audiences (except those of you who just want to see Mel Gibson's ass).