Max Payne
Mark Wahlberg stars as a vengeful cop in Max Payne
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Wednesday, 12, Nov 2008 08:47
Directed by John Moore, out November 14th, starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, 100 mins.
In a nutshell...
Good-looking, if shallow and Matrix-lite.
What's it all about?
Tough New York cop Max Payne (Wahlberg) journeys into the criminal underworld of a dark and disturbing city in a bid to track down those responsible for the murder of his wife and child.
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Who's in it?
After starting his career in music as Marky Marky, Mark Wahlberg made his cinematic name in PT Anderson's Boogie Nights back in 1997 and has since starred in notable films such as Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees and a remake of The Italian Job opposite Charlize Theron and Edward Norton. Last year he was Oscar-nominated for his role in Martin Scorsese's Boston crime remake The Departed.
Mila Kunis is perhaps best known for her role in long-running TV series That 70s Show, and for providing the voice of Meg in animated hit Family Guy. She rose to prominence this year in comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Beau Bridges has built up an esteemed career in film and TV. His most recent work includes recurring roles in Stargate: Atlantis and My Name is Earl.
Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges is a rapper and performer who is developing a slate of performances in film and TV, including a central role in the Oscar-winning drama Crash.
As an example...
"There's an army of bodies under this river, people who ran out of time, out of friends. I could feel the dead down there, reaching up to welcome me as one of their own. It was an easy mistake to make." - Max Payne
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
No chance, although the visual effects may get a nod if there are slim pickings in Hollywood for the rest of the year.
What the others say
"The occasional muzzle-flare of stylish violence, but that's it. Dull, depressing and dragging its knuckles at 100 minutes." - Total Film
"This tired, neutered action thriller won't cause you max pain, but you might wince every now and again." - Empire
So is it any good?
Let's get one thing straight. There has never been a good movie adaptation of a videogame. From Resident Evil through to Silent Hill and Tomb Raider, while the atmospherics are fairly straightforward to nail, the lack of audience interactivity leads to abject failure via paper-thin plotting and airy substance.
Still, audiences keep paying to watch them and the bottom line is enough motivation for the studios. Unfortunately Max Payne does nothing to break free of genre expectations. As a character, Payne is an almost laughably tough nut. While haunted by a periodic, sepia-toned flashback of his family's murder, he spends his downtime cleaning his guns and blows doors open with his cannon-sized six-shooter when he's chasing a villain. Although Mark Wahlberg does Repressed and Angry very well, probe a layer or two below his limited repertoire of scowls and furrowed brows and you'll be left wanting.
The support cast offers little back-up. Mila Kunis is essentially a poor man's Trinity, who has little to play with and has nothing to offer besides some extra firepower and a handy foil when the audience needs some laborious exposition. Then there's current Bond girl Olga Kurylenko who suffers the indignity of a slink-on, slink-off part in which she loses her clothes and then falls victim to one of the most embarrassing death scenes of the year.
Director John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, the remake of The Omen) has a history of providing flashy visuals in place of any real substance, and he tries to pull the same trick here. Occasionally diverting action scenes will keep the teens happy but they're ultimately far too Matrix-lite to be truly effective. Of more interest is the look of the city itself, a frozen and barren New York which manages to make an impression throughout, while a series of impressive set-pieces marking the finale will produce an involuntary nod of satisfaction. Would've made a good ten-minute music video, perhaps... You'll find yourself wishing they'd paid as much attention to the screenplay.
3/10
Nick Goundry