Max Payne (2008)

Tuesday, 28 October 2008 00:00

Reviewed by Carol Sullivan

Genre: Action/Thriller
Release Date: October 17th, 2008
Director: John Moore
Rating: PG-13 for violence including intense shooting sequences, drug content, some sexuality and brief strong language
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VISIT: The Official Site

The handsome and talented Mark Wahlberg is back in the game-to-film, action thriller, Max Payne. As I had never played the video game, I bought my pop-corn with my hopes high. The trailers had looked so darn good, I momentarily forgot that most movies gleamed from video-games are usually disappointing...

The story line is pretty simple. Once respected police detective, Max Payne, is now working the cold case files after the brutal murder of his wife and baby daughter. Bitter and solemn, Max is determined to learn the truth and, thanks to some new leads, he learns that it all centers around a pharmaceutical company's cover-up.

Seems that this company was working with the government to create a magic drug that would turn an ordinary soldier into a killing machine. As it is not nice to mess with Mother Nature, most of the test subjects have had horrible hallucinations of fiery, winged beasts -- right before they go insane, that is.

So Max Payne, shiny guns in-hand, must battle the one successful test-subject...this guy is unstoppable! And, Max will discover that the person behind it all is the last person he would suspect...

While this game-to-film crossover is better than many of its kind, Max Payne still left a lot to be desired. It is so disappointing when the best parts of a film are given away in the trailers. The movie style is dark, sad; sort of film-noir and smacks of films like Sin City and The Punisher though it never really picks up momentum. The action scenes are few and far between, but the CG work on the winged Valkyries is breathtaking; I wish that there had been more of it.

Well directed by John Moore, Max Payne is entertaining, but there isn't enough substance to make me want to see it again.

Overall Rating: 2 1/2

VIDEO | Red Band Trailer

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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 01 September 2009 08:56 )