Mel Gibson | Craig's Movie Report

Viewed – 07 November 2009 Blu-ray

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with these sort of historical swords & sandals epics. I wouldn’t normally jump at the prospect of a near 3 hour movie about some Scots barbarian, but with some exceptions to the rule, most notably Ridley Scott’s superb Gladiator, I can be made to see something special in a movie that is mostly about men killing one another on a battle field. Mel Gibson plays legendary Scottish hero William Wallace, who in the 13th century stood up against an oppressive English regime headed by ruthless King Edward ‘The Longshanks’, and paved the way for Scotland to become its own free country.

Now what helps such a serious subject be palatable and even entertaining is the charisma on show from Gibson’s character and the group of underdog rap-scallians that make up his posse, add to this the superb cinematography, a stirring score by James Horner and a story packed with genuine heart, and this has something for any real movie lover. Yes it’s very bloody, the battles unflinching in their violence, but none of it feels gratuitous. The supporting characters, especial Patrick McGoohan’s evil King are complexly crafted, with Sophie Marceau’s sensual Princess Of Wales enriching every scene she appears in. But overall, this is Gibson’s film, and he is a revelation, handling the emotions and the feel-good speeches with real conviction, proving him a true Hollywood icon – he even carries off the accent with never a doubt in your head.

The Blu-ray as hoped is impeccable, with an exhaustive amount of information covering both the production and the real life source material, with a whole second disk devoted to reconstructions of the battles and candid historical documentaries to give a fully rounded interpretation on what really went on all those hundreds of years ago. The movie itself is in great shape too, with the high-definition treatment shining, and bringing the Scottish highlands to vivid life. Add to this a beefy DTS HD Master Audio track, complete with a feature-length commentary from Mel Gibson and Bonus View picture in picture footage to watch during the movie – and this is just plain and simple an essential purchase.

Verdict: 5 /5

Director’s Cut vs Theatrical Version

I have a love / hate relationship with director’s cuts. Often it seems I prefer the original of which I have become used to, and more often than not, any tinkering adds very little to the movie (ahem, Blade Runner), even to the point of ruining it (The Frighteners, anyone?) Now Payback is definitely a different beast. The original theatrical version plays out as a clever, mean and dirty revenge movie with bags of personality and energy to spare. I loved it, but haven’t seen it in ages. Last night I sat down to watch this new Director’s Cut, with hype surrounding it as a completely new movie compared to what was previously released.

Payback

Mel Gibson is Porter, a hard-as-nails career crim who is double crossed by his partner in crime and left shy of 70 grand. Now he is back in town and wants what he’s owed. This simple set up lays the ingredients for a back-to-basics thriller, very much in that 70s cop movie vibe, and Gibson is joined by a quality cast, especially the always gorgeous Maria Bello, and the brilliant Lucy Liu. I recall loving the one dimensional intensity of Gibson’s character, his charm and sly wit even when up against impossible odds – you route for him even though he’s despicable. He’s just cool.

Now when comparing this to the theatrical version, we have a leaner, meaner cut, that although now showing Gibson knocking Deborah Kara Unger senseless and killing a heavy in cold blood, actually seems tamer in comparison. We also get an entirely different third act, that lacks much of the ‘yes!’ climax of the original and excises Kris Kristofferson completely. Perhaps fitting with the 70s vibe, the formerly blue tint to the movie has been replaced with a raw, gritty and vibrant colour palette, which gives the movie a new lease of life.

I’ll say I prefer the original overall as the missing scenes here do add a great deal, as did the voice over that is also gone – it just felt like a more fleshed out experience. Yet I applaude what director Brian Helgeland was going for and think the new version is just as good – for different reasons.

The Blu-ray can’t be faulted mostly as its jam-packed with features, including a short documentary on the creation of the new cut, an audio commentary on the new cut, and behind the scenes featurettes to fill out the package. The new look to the director’s cut impresses most, but both versions (as is presented here) are in great shape, with equally punchy Dolby True HD soundtracks.

Verdicts

(Director’s Cut): 4 /5

(Theatrical Version): 4 /5