Max Payne

Synopsis

This film is an adaptation from a video game with the same name. Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg, The Departed) is a cop whose family and partner are viciously murdered. He journeys as a rebel on a course to revenge, going into the underworld to find those responsible for their murders. With evil building strong, Payne finds he unearths very dominant enemies and treachery.

Review

I’ve been ganked, mislead, hoodwinked, bamboozled because Max Payne the movie is not as juicy as the trailer. The film isn’t what you think it is from watching the trailer. Here, I’m thinking this movie is going to be about the supernatural realm, but slap me silly, it's not. There’s no kind of dialogue. No kind of substance. There’s just no kind of nothing. Let me stop. I’m being too hard. I can’t lie… I was entertained even with all the negatives. How could I not be with all the intense shooting sequences and the strange looking soaring demons? However, is this enough to sustain a movie that is 100 minutes long? Not really because then it’s the same old same old.

The basic grit to this story is Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg) is a cop out for blood because his beloved wife and baby are killed and he spends his days searching for their ruthless killer. Through his quest, others die, secrets are revealed, Max is seen as losing it and just all kind of craziness happens.

I don’t want to ruin anything for you readers by giving too much information, but just know, from the brotha in the trailer stating, “Max Payne is looking for something that God wants to stay hidden. That’s what makes him even more dangerous. The Devil is building his army.” All I have to say is Mmmm hmmm. What devil? What army? Mmmm hmmmm.

I guess my biggest issue is the trailer versus the movie. The trailer had me thinking…”Okay, the devil is building his army.” And Max is looking for revenge for who killed his family. I’m thinking this is going to be a great esoteric film with a man on a mission to whoop that behind all while dealing with evil principalities. Mmmm Hmmm.

Wahlberg was perfect for this part. He does action very well, and he has that voice that is perfect for a man on an avenging mission. And did you know that Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (Crash) is in this flick? Ludacris’ acting was so darn stiff. I expected more from him. Perhaps, I can’t blame him for a lack-luster script. He’s just saying the corny dry lines that were given to him. I think he could have spiced them up a little better. This isn’t his best performance. He’s done much better on Law & Order SVU back in the day for a couple guest appearances. I believed his character unlike his character, Internal Affairs agent Jim Bravura in Max Payne.

Nelly Furtado (Singer) has a little scene in this flick too. When I saw her I could not figure out who she was. I kept telling myself that I knew her, but just couldn’t think who she might be. All those singers and rappers cross over to film don’t they?

I’m also trying to figure out Mila Kunis’ (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) part as Mona Sax an assassin. Her character was NEVER developed and her part was meaningless. She must have been thrown in for sexiness sake.

The movie was disappointing in a way that I was left unsatisfied. I was fed kibbles and bits, but not a juicy steak meal I thought I was going to get. Visually the movie looked great on the big screen. It’s a very dark movie with the look of chill. The slow-mo shooting scenes I will always like even though it’s been done many times since the days of The Matrix. For me, it never gets old, not even in this flick.

Look, I have to be reel, I’m very mixed on this picture because you can definitely wait until it comes out on DVD, but unless you have a big screen TV with a Bose sound system, you won’t enjoy it as much. Perhaps, an inexpensive matinee would be good to get the full effects.

My Rating ~ 2 Reels

Audience Rating (What's Yours?)