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Category:    Home > Reviews > Martial Arts Cycle > Action > Crime > China > Pay Back (2013 aka PayBack/Lionsgate DVD)

Pay Back (2013 aka PayBack/Lionsgate DVD)



Picture: C Sound: B Extras: D Film: C+



Zhang Jin (Francis Ng) was the fall guy for the local Triad mafia and after serving 3 years in jail, he wants out and to live a normal life. Unfortunately, neither his former friends, enemies, or the family he helped destroy is satisfied with him being released. As Zhang searches for forgiveness and redemption, the father of the victim searches for revenge ...including Zhang and those whom Zhang took the fall for.

In Fu Xi's Pay Back (2013 aka PayBack), Zhang isn't good, but you can't say he isn't bad either. After serving his time, he is disgusted with the crimes his crew done, his girl has left him and he is at odds with his father. While Zhang's father knows Zhang is innocent of the crime itself, he has withheld evidence from the police, evidence that proves Zhang was innocent but still accessory to the crime. As Zhang tries to forget his past sins, he is being chauffeured by a taxi driver, the very father of the victim, who also knows the truth of Zhang but wants revenge on the people Zhang protected with his silence.

This was the story of a criminal, can a criminal be forgiven if he truly repents for his crimes? And should good person forgive them if they do? The good and bad guy's roles become reversed, if an evil man could be forgiven then a good man can decide if a man should live ...or die. The entire film questions the morality of justice, even if a good man was justified to kill, does it become no better than evil if it does decide to kill? Or should a good person always forgive no matter what happens to him? In the end, karma justice barely makes it, and the only sure thing to take away from this film was evil thrives when good people do nothing (including the incompetent police force, but then a 'good citizen' should never lose faith in the justice system ...even when they fail). Fans of this kind of story might want to see how they do it.


The anamorphically enhanced image ia s bit soft and lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix as good as they can be for this format, so playback is not awful, but the only extra include trailers.



- Ricky Chiang


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