In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

This "Payback" film has a severe identity crisis. What starts out as a slam bang prison escape movie, suddenly morphs into a smarmy romance of epic proportions. Your girlfriend will swoon as Corey Michael Eubanks courts Teresa Blake throughout the interminable middle of "Payback". Such thrilling seduction rituals as midnight swims, horseback riding, and romantic dinners spew forth in what is supposed to be a tale of sweet revenge. With Michael Ironside and Don Swayze on board you might be tempted to give this one a try, however you most definitely will have to sit through at least a bunch of yawns between the prison break and the vengeful outcome. - MERK

Actually, this Grade B film wasn't too bad, considering it's just that: Grade B. As one reviewer aptly points out, when the writer decides he's also going to be the lead actor, that's kind of sign the film may not be that great! I wonder if Corey Michael Eubanks also sold popcorn at the theaters during showings?This is pretty routine but it had a few intense action scenes, such as the beginning. How many people are escapees using a bus? And getting away! Come on!!!!After that interesting beginning, the film bogs down deeper and deeper and - snore - deeper, mainly because of the dumb romance angle with the typical no- brained, jealous, spoiled bully boyfriend. There are so many "Payback" movies that surely you can find one a lot better than this one.

One of a number of films with the same title and this one is probably one of the poorest. I always worry when the lead character and starring role in a film is also written by the same person. Now, this can be a good thing in some cases but more often than not, it just turns into a vanity project and this is one of the latter.Our so-called hero escapes from a prison work gang in one of the most poorly conceived plans ever made, i.e. he just runs and hopes for the best. Not exactly up there with 'Escape from Alcatraz.'Taking a job at a gas station in a small town, he takes up with a local girl and upsets the town bully, a subplot that gets rapidly pushed onto the back burner when the film lurches into the final reel.Doing a deal with the local sheriff (played engagingly by Michael Ironside in a sympathetic role for a change), he finds the drug haul from a plane crash he was flying with his late brother. And finally brings his brother's killer to justice....well...the sheriff shoots him actually... Not one of the most original stories ever filmed and it bogs down very much in the middle with the small town action, which consists of him going out with aforementioned girl and some low grade love scenes.What I don't like about this film is that the supposed hero is in reality a drug-runner, who only wants revenge for the death of his brother, not to stop the evil he was part of. He even gets off scott-free when the sheriff lets him leave before the feds arrive. Only for him to rendezvous with the girl (who also happens to be the sheriff's daughter, talk about taking the pee!), so, they can run off to the big city lights.So, the moral is: it's OK to be a drug runner if you are pretty and your brother has been murdered by your sleaze bag employer.Apart from been a mediocre film, that leaves a unpleasant taste in my mouth.

Criminals in film looks harmless ( with one exception of Don Swayze who's acting more precision and less melodramatic than playing of his famous brother Patrick in different movies of 1980s ).Possitive characters are like milk-suckers ( but Michael Ironside's work is OK as Sheriff ).Teresa Blake for aerobics - beauty is perfect. Director Russell Solberg takes quick start (silly imitation of Sam Peckinpah's filming formula ) continue for sleepy country scenes of life and romance of main character (whith some trashy fights for variety) .Most of budget waste for couple of shuts and explosions in ending.Low-key work of stunts and plain soundtrack are applied.