Max Payne

I could be considered a pretty big fan of Mark Wahlberg. I think he works as an action star and actually works in odd comedies(His performance in I Heart Huckabees is classic). More than anything though, Wahlberg works when he has guns in his hand. He belongs in movies where he is shooting at people. I tried to play the Max Payne video games, but the controls didn't work for me, so I have no idea if Wahlberg is the fit for the character but the character carries guns and so Wahlberg is perfect for it in my eyes, and that is all that matters. My one worry going in was that the movie is only PG-13 and it looks like should be R.

In a dark and dank version of New York, Max Payne(Wahlberg) stalks to the streets looking for the guy who murdered his pregnant wife. He is a former murder detective who now works in the cold case unit. He uses old contacts to find the killer. One night he meets a sexy woman, Natasha(Olga Kurylenko), who has tattoos of wings, which intrigues Payne. Natasha wants sex, saying she'll pretend to be Payne's dead wife, which is a total turn off for Payne. She leaves and then is killed. Payne's old partner finds Payne because Natasha had his wallet on her. Payne doesn't talk but the old partner later notices Natasha's tattoo is the same as a tattoo on one of the people who killed Payne's wife, who was killed by Payne. The partner is promptly killed and Payne becomes a suspect. Meanwhile, Natasha's sister, Mona Sax(The very sexy, but very miscast Mila Kunis) is looking for Natasha's killer which leads her to Payne. Payne and Mona team up to try to find out what is happening. SO what is happening? There is a drug on the street, Valkeir, that causes some seriously wicked hallucinations leading to death. The drug was created by a pharacudical company, where Payne's wife used to work, and the idea of the drug was to make super soldiers because the drug makes users super strong. Unfortunately in 99% of users it causes those suicidal tendencies. Payne trusts the wrong people and gunfire ensues often.

In a case of style over substance, Max Payne is at times stunning and awesome and at times boring and tedious. John Moore, the director of such movies as The Omen(remake) and Flight of the Phoenix, directs Payne with a strong visual hand but not much else. Also, in showing the hypocrisy of the MPAA rating system, Max Payne has about the highest body count one could possibly have in a PG-13 movie because there is no blood. Instead of blood, we get striking red visuals throughout the movie as a possible substitute for the blood. It gives the movie a sort of Sin City light feeling because the movie is so dark and and drab, but these fiery reds streaking across the screen in letters or sets. The violence is paced well and choreographed well and of course,e Wahlberg with guns in his hand, rules the Earth. The gun blasts are so loud and vivid, you jump the first few times you hear them, especially in the public bathroom scene. In terms of the hallucinations, the visuals are truly intense and spectacular, in particular when Payne himself takes the drug. What we see are gigantic winged gargoyle looking Angels, that all look like shadow creatures and the loom over the city and tear roofs off of the building and make painful screeching sounds. They give the effects of the drug quite a nice visual kick for us. The camera, with quick jilted movements help emphasis what a strange drug trip it is for people.

The good kind of ends there though. The story is muddled and the writing quite terrible. Wahlberg is usually charismatic, but he is lifeless as Payne, some of that is the fact that the character is lifeless, sure, but he could have brought something to it. Kunis is sexy as hell wielding weapons, but she doesn't work as a bad ass, in my opinion. Her voice and body language don't really incite fear the way you want them too. Ludacris, as a cop, sets the rapper turned actor movement back a few years with his dreadful acting. he can't make any of his lines sound fluid or real. Beau Bridges as a confidant of Payne's doesn't really add anything whatsoever and while it was nice to see Chris O' Donnell on screen again, he doesn't get enough screen time to really give us anything worthwhile. In scenes where there isn't action the movie comes to a screeching halt and none of the actors have much chemistry.

Also, if you have a fear of drowning stay away from Max Payne. The movie opens on and comes back to, a scene of Payne struggling to survive in water and it is a violent, visceral experience of what it looks like to drown. The water loudly crashes against his struggling body and he dips under the water and he shoots up trying not to choke on the water. It is a loud, messy and scary moment that sets things in motion very well. The way the camera dips under the water really captured me and put me right in the water with Max. It is moments like this that make me believe there should have been a better movie here. I know movies shouldn't be all action all of the time, but when a director as such a vivid visual style, you kind of wish they could be. John Moore may not know what to do in times of story or character, but he certainly knows how to stage a drugged out high and because of that, I will rate this higher than it maybe deserves.

Final Grade: C+