GRADE: B-

Mel Gibson’s “comeback” in the form of 2010’s “Edge of Darkness” is preceded by a slew of Gibson revenge roles, none more blatantly realized than “Payback,” the very definition of a guilty pleasure; a film that plumbs the depths of nasty simply to stimulate our base instincts and dark compulsions; a film that has one character brutalize another just so we can enjoy the pleasure of seeing him even the score.

Why review a film like this, let alone recommend it, especially when it stars a man whose outrageous public statements have been inflammatory to say the least? Because I’m a film critic and “Payback” is a feature offering from a major studio comprised of a well-known cast. Good, bad or otherwise, it’s valid cinematically even if you don’t like everyone appearing in it.

Besides, if I were to reject a film based on the off-screen actions of those who made it, the overall context of my artistic judgments would suffer and I would have long ago run out of films to review. There’s a line to be crossed, but in terms of this film, Gibson hasn’t crossed it.

“Payback” has a certain basic quality that effectively exploits existential and noir dynamics, a decidedly offbeat sense of malicious humor and a sharp-witted, if mean spirited, script.

In fact, “Payback,” a re-make of the 1967 classic, “Point Blank” (directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin) is about as mean spirited as movies get without becoming completely psychotic. This is not true of the original—an almost dreamlike concoction of gangster movie, character study and quest film. Regrettably, none of these labels accurately describes its lesser offspring.

That’s not to say “Payback” has little or nothing to offer. Director and screenwriter Brian Helgeland’s brew is a straightforward revenge film, and it’s a pretty good one as revenge films go, if a bit too bloody. Gibson and co-star Gregg Henry are in fine form and their over-the-top machismo is the source of some lively action.

Sticking to the original’s basic story outline, Helgeland, who won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay with 1997’s “L.A. Confidential,” tells the story of Porter, a longtime thief who is double-crossed by his wife and partner after a lucrative robbery. Shot and left for dead, he surfaces months later, now a one-man wrecking crew out to settle scores and collect his share of the loot.

Vicious, sometimes fringing on sadistic, and not always successful, “Payback” won’t have broad-based appeal because of its subject matter and in-your-face approach, although there are a couple of inspired moments to savor. On the other hand, students of the form and those who enjoy the genre should walk away from the table feeling full.

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