An endeavor as soulless and predictable as the half-assed
Mel Gibson thriller it accompanies, Varese Sarabande's
Payback largely marginalizes
Chris Boardman's original score in favor of spotlighting classic but overly familiar pop hits like
Dean Martin's "Ain't That a Kick in the Head,"
B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone," and
James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." That leaves less than 15 minutes of running time for
Boardman's score, yet that might be enough -- an uninspired rehash of classic '70s thriller soundtracks, the music is nevertheless too slick and superficial to match the pulpy authority of the scores it strives so desperately to emulate. ~ Jason Ankeny