Max Payne

Max Payne (2008) starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Ludacris, Chris O'Donnell and Amaury Nolasco.

Before...for too long now we have been subjected to mediocre 12A videogame adaptations. So now seeing Max Payne being a 15 gave me some sort of hope, if I'm honest. Also what gave me hope with this film was Mark Wahlberg, he doesn't often choose a dud movie. However, due to the fact that videogame adaptations generally aren't done well I was still nervous about this film. I just had to watch and see...

Max Payne (Wahlberg) is a cop on the edge, in the middle of a search for the killer of his wife and baby that takes him into a murky underworld of Russian assassins, betrayal and a conspiracy that may or may not involve strange, winged creatures. He meets Mona Sax (Kunis) who is trying to find her sisters killer. Payne's old boss BB Hensley (Bridges) is there to give him advice and help as Payne starts to look into the cold case that was his wife's death. As Payne becomes the renegade cop killing those who gets in his way he gets tracked by fellow Detective Lt. Jim Bravura (Ludacris).

So where to start...problems as usually. The main issue I have with this film may be the fact that I have no prior knowledge of the videogame. In the past when I have watched films adaptations of videogames I have known their background and enjoyed seeing the characters I loved playing as brought to life, yet with Max Payne I have never played it. So my issue with it is that I don't feel it gives much scope for new comers to the film...it seems harder to get involved in it.

The acting seems to just not be there either. Wahlberg seems to be on auto-pilot and the other actors involved do nothing to show how good they can be, which is a real shame as there is an eclectic group of stars involved in this film. From Nelly Furtado to Beau Bridges, Amaury Nolasco (of Prison Break fame) to Olga Kurylenko (of Quantum of Solace fame). With such an multitude of different actors surely something good can come out of it...right? Wrong. I was disappointed with all actors involved with this film.

The tense nature of the film's plot is non-existent to be perfectly honest. It scrambles and struggles to show any real depth and intensity that the videogame had, or so I am told. The other star point that the videogame has that the film fails to have was the use of bullet time. Instead of bullet time the film just slows certain scenes down, which is a real shame, because from what people have told me the bullet time feature of the game and to ignore a key feature of the game seems pointless. Even Doom was able to give the true feel of the videogame.

Good points about this film then...the imagery of the strange winged creatures gives the film more of a Constantine feel, which is a true compliment. The feel and the imagery used gives a very gothic film and it is the CGI that aids this. Visually this film is stunning, both in way of the action sequences and the the cgi.

Overall I was severely disappointed with this film, acting bad, plot poor, no scope for new comers. It is a dumb-testorone filled film that forgoes any wish to be remembered for the right reasons. Enjoyable yes...though-provoking, definitely not, which is why this film gets...

★★☆☆☆