Max Payne
Short Review by Kiva microfinance : Seven years since Max Payne brought bullet time into videogames on the back of its jaw-dropping effect on cinema audiences, the action goes back to the big screen in this belated adaptation. Mark Wahlberg has stepped up to star as the titular maverick cop on the hunt for those responsible for the brutal murder of his family, and a journey into the underworld.
The original third person shooter videogame had close allusions to film with cinematic story sequences and noir-style night and rain devouring every moment. However, the main appeal of Max Payne was the ability to shoot the bad guys in the same "bullet time" style seen in The Matrix while leaping between crates or through doorways – a simple gimmick which was stretched over two games. Controlling Max around mainly enclosed spaces, killing everything that moved with the ease of slow motion became famous for its novelty factor when bullet time was still creating a buzz and The Matrix sequels were being anticipated rather than lambasted. In bringing the game to screen, the filmmakers will need to work on giving us more than just this borrowed element to make an engrossing film - especially as it’s not clear if this novelty value is being exploited.
The last time Wahlberg was cast as a no-nonsense killer was in The Shooter, a run-of-the-mill revenge thriller. His chiselled features were wasted on a bland character and even blander story, but Max Payne has the advantage of its noir style to help develop the tortured soul’s bid to bring his family’s murderers to justice. Of course, being Max Payne there has to be copious amounts of violence but, done right, the dark undertones could be amplified by the gunfire rather than provide the padding.
Whether it achieves this aim could be reliant not on Wahlberg’s performance, but on those around him. The presence of Ludacris and Nelly Furtado, more famed for their music than acting ability, and Chris O’Donnell, normally associated with average studio fare than hits, gives the impression we could be in for a rough ride. Director John Moore’s CV is sketchy: his previous high profile movies such as The Omen, Flight of the Phoenix and Behind Enemy Lines were workmanlike and there’s no getting away from the fact Max Payne is hardly a gaming household name anymore. The film is billed to include enemies from beyond the natural world too, a fantasy element not normally used in classic noir or even more modern day fare such as Sin City.
Max Payne will not be aiming to shoot the bullseye of taste with the average movie fan: it’s most likely to fall into that limbo of gamers wanting to see how their hero has been presented on the big screen and those looking for a simple actioner. If it achieves any more, then it will be considered a huge success for all involved.
Director: John Moore
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges
Theatrical Release:Oct 17, 2008 Wide
