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Max Payne

Written By: Alyn Darnay

If you’re only looking for a fast-paced shootem-up, with some cool effects and a driving musical score, then this is the film for you. As with most films that start out as video games, Max Payne is for the adrenaline action junkie in all of us, a guilty pleasure even I sometimes suffer from.

Don’t look for any deep abiding story here, you won’t find it. It’s a simple tale of obsessive revenge that moves from one excess to the next utilizing every cliché in the book; the partner, the murdered family, the retired cop, the bad girl with a heart of gold, the evil villain, and even the corrupt corporation.

What Max Payne does have going for it is Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and Ludacris, all strong screen personalities who are fun to watch. What Max Payne has to offer is a beautifully executed visual style, state-of-the-art effects, and the non-stop action of the game. Unfortunately what Max Payne lacks is an interesting coherent story, but then again, a heavy story would slow down the action and when you want to experience a video game on a big screen, that’s a big no, no.

The movie is not for everyone, but for those of us who thrive on action it’s a quick, loud, easy, distraction. By the way, there’s a beautiful gun and bullet montage during the end credits that’s more than worth the viewing.