I just saw this version on Netflix - my opinion

Payback is a favorite of mine, but I hadn't seen it in 6-7 years or so. It used to be in pretty heavy rotation on HBO or Showtime or whatever, and I watched it a bunch of times.

I didn't know this was the director's cut until I started watching it. I immediately noticed that the blue tint was missing, and the opening was a bit different.

I will say that I preferred the first half or so of the director's version over the original. Overall, I would combine the first half or so of the DC with the second half of the theatrical version, and ditch the blue tint. I liked the extended scenes with Porter's wife, and the bit with Val walking out of Carter's office and realizing he's on his own. If at that point they jumped right back to the theatrical version - where Carter and John Glover's characters are discussing "stitch up the mutt" - and went with the theatrical version from there, it would be better in total than the original.

I can see why they redid the ending and pretty much everything that followed Porter's sitdown with Carter. The DC ending is ok, but not overly enjoyable. Porter basically goes on a killing spree, and the overly dark ending just doesn't seem to fit with the first part of the film.