Max Payne Movie Thread Part 2

[dos4gw]

"...Max is the very image of the adolescent boys who are the movie's (and, no doubt, the game's) target audience."

This reviewer is clearly out of touch.

[Joe Siegler]

Originally Posted by LeadBullet

I remember people were saying those monster things were most definitely just visual representations of the things people saw while they had V in their system.

But on TV there was some kind of short preview thing when a show on some channel (FX I think) was going to commercial. It showed the part from the trailer where the angel\monster thing pulls a guy out of a window. But then it showed Max and Mona, and they said something which suggested they both saw it too.

So is this a monster movie now?

See it before you assume you know what happens. I'm not even going to respond to that, except to say YOU ARE WRONG.

Originally Posted by Dr. Kill

I still can't believe how badly they miscasted Jim Bravura. What the hell were they thinking?

Nothing. He was fine. I think people were having problems with him based on his uh "career" outside of the movie. That's an unfair assumption. It's like me and Beau Bridges thinking.. "Look - it's Earl Hickey's dad!" That's not a valid point, IMO. Take things on what they are in the movie, not what an actor might have done elsewhere - or your own pre-conceived notions about what you think it should be like.

Treat the movie for what it is, not what you expect it to be.

Originally Posted by Cleric

The negative reviews are scaring me. I love Max Payne, the series deserves proper treatment.

It was fine. All of 3DR saw it, and with the exception of just one guy up here, we all thought it was decent. Was it spectacular? Hell no, but in no way did it suck. Here's a few remarks of mine from 3DR interoffice email..

Originally Posted by Joe Siegler @ 3DR Mail

I'll definitely watch it again when it comes out on DVD. Supposed to be the "R" rated version on there. Be curious to see what else would be in there..

I enjoyed it. Wouldn't go so far as to say it was "Great", but there were plenty of bits from the games in there if you know all that (the candles,
Mona's apt from Max 2, Roscoe St Station, various name and location drops). Some of the visual direction was great, and straight out of the games. I loved the snow in particular. Felt exactly right.

Was surprised Remedy didn't at least get a credit - the games were just referred to as Rockstar.

The other thing brought up in 3DR interoffice email after we all saw it was that we felt it should have started with "Happy Max", in order to give you some sense of scope as to what fueled the rage. That happens, but not until awhile through the movie, at which point you've had rather a lot of Max being well, Max.

Some of the bullet time stuff was a bit gimmicky, sure, but it was a gimmick in the game, too.

Will definitely buy it when it's released on BluRay in a few months.

[Unbeholder]

Originally Posted by Joe Siegler

Will definitely buy it when it's released on BluRay in a few months.

you've convinced me, I'll see it on DVD definitely

I hope everyone else does as well.

[Damien_Azreal]

Bon and I were going to see it tonight..... but we're going tomorrow night. To the latest showing with our friends (we've gots friends!) Jeff and Annie.

I'm still very excited to see the film, despite the negative opinions posted here and other places.

[Thief]

Just saw it.

Wasn't the greatest, but they certainly nailed a lot from the games. The cinematography was excellent and they absolutely mirrored Max's house, especially the bedroom. Great job on that. The last 20 minutes of the movie were pretty much exactly like the intro of the first game as well. I was actually quite pleased. Many other settings like the docks, the factory and the warehouses were done very well. The uniforms of Aesir security were also exactly like the game.

One thing I'm confused about is the pronunciation of 'Aesir'. I always thought it was pronounced 'Ay-sir', but the one time I heard it mentioned in the movie it sounded more like 'uh-seer' or if you were to say the letter 'e' in french then 'seer'.

My main complaints would have to be that (imo) there wasn't enough bullet-time, there were barely any shoot-dodges, and only once did Max use the twin Berettas, and I'm not even sure as it was a dark scene...and no Ingrams.

The acting was all right, the story was decent, and V hallucinations were handled well, but damn...I would've paid an extra buck towards my ticket just to hear the theme anywhere in, or after the movie, or at least a similar interpretation, but no go.

Final word...comparing it to Hitman for overall enjoyment, I'd choose Hitman.

[Boo Boo Juice]

I saw the comic-book style opening montage. Right when I saw it I knew I wouldn't bother seeing this in theater. That sequence alone is pretty poorly done. I saw a shootout in the Aesir building and that entire scene just didn't have any heart.

Anyway, its currently at 17% on rotten tomatoes' overall ratings. Its at 5% on the cream of the crop. Can't say I was surprised at the reception it is getting.

[dos4gw]

Just saw it. My thoughts: *minor spoilers*

************************************************** ******

Visuals: Absolutely perfect. They managed to transfer the same dark tone to the film. I loved how the snowflakes turned to sparks during the drug sequences. No complaints.

Acting: Okay. Surprisingly, I thought the best acting in the entire film was done by Chris O'Donnell. It seemed like every actor thought that they were in a different movie, and never agreed on a particular tone. That might be attributed to the fact that there were way too many characters for a movie this short.

Music: Damned horrible. Absolutely the worst part about the movie. I wasn't too bummed about them not using the theme song from the game, and being a music composition student, I was kind of looking forward to hearing another person's interpretation of the story. But it's really the most cliched and horrible crap you can imagine. It's like he just went rummaging in his leftover pile of generic action and atmospheric music, the kind of stuff he'd though never would see the light of day.

Story: Meh. A few things worked, but the pacing is really wrong, and again, there are too many characters that we see too little of. It's biggest mistake was not to have Max narrating the story. We need to be able to get inside his head so we can actually care about what's happening to him. If the game didn't have this, I don't think it would have worked, either.

Effects: Very good. The Valkyries looked really great, gunshots and explosions were great as well. The bullet-time effects were a bit too much, so slow that they're almost laughable. If they used it in twice as many scenes at twice the speed, things would have been much better

So, I give it around a 6/10, mostly because the visuals were just spectacular.

[razgriz]

Originally Posted by 0marTheZealot

Max Payne just about was the easiest movie not to mess up. Just follow the game script and there you go. Easiest money Hollywood could have made. Of course, I underestimate the stupidity of Hollywood executives. They are the only ones I know who can turn gold into lead.

From gold to crap. PG-13 adaptation of an M rated medium is bound for failure.

I knew it was going to happen and I'm saving myself money along with disappointment.

[KaiserSoze]

George updated his Twitter with a brief review of the movie. Anyways, I'll wait for the uncut "R" version on Blu Ray.

[Yatta]

Do they play the original Max Payne theme song in the movie? If not, big loss for them. That was one of the game's strongest points IMO.

Having read his Twat, George doesn't seem too impressed w/ the movie.

[Bojangles5477]

Originally Posted by Malgon

P.s. Where was James McAffrey's cameo?

He's on of the cops, i think he may have mentioned FBI? I'm not sure. The scene is the Police Station after Max's encounter in the Aesir building, McAffrey says to Ludacris "Bravura, are you ok?" Or words to that effect..

He's got another really short scene before that as well i think...

[Bojangles5477]

Originally Posted by dos4gw

It's biggest mistake was not to have Max narrating the story. We need to be able to get inside his head so we can actually care about what's happening to him

Yeah i totally agree... That was definitely missing

[Ravey]

Originally Posted by Yatta

Do they play the original Max Payne theme song in the movie? If not, big loss for them. That was one of the game's strongest points IMO.

Apparently not, they replaced it with Marilyn Manson, If I Was Your Vampire.

[avatar_58]

Originally Posted by dos4gw

It's biggest mistake was not to have Max narrating the story.

Wait what - it's not? They didn't even use the method of storytelling from BOTH games?

My verdict:
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Yeah, it wasn't as good as me, my bro and his friend expected. I don't think it was a bad movie at all but it wasn't a good movie in the first place. One thing the director did good was the build up of the plot.....which eventually started going downhill or nowhere, as most of the critics seem to mention, from the scene where Max decides to confront Lupino. The only scene for me which was true to the movie was the subway scene. The rest of the movie was pretty much forgettable.
However the worst part of the movie, I think this one everyone will probably agree on, is the action scenes. How bad is it....let's just say I've seen TV movies or direct to video movies with better action sequence.
The acting in the movie seem to range from either good to average. Seeing a rapper being cast as Inspector Jim....just seems odd. It's like they randomly inserted African actors into the cast for fear of being called a racist.

Is it true that Remedy wasn't credited because of the guild rules?

[TBZ]

I think I was more curious, than interested about this movie, and I was going to see it in the theater.
That is until I found out that our local theater wasn't going to show it, because they're showing Madagascar 2/High School Musical 3 instead! I understand this from a business standpoint, but it still sucks for me.
I'll watch this on DVD/Blu-Ray when it comes out.

[Laokin]

You guys are nuts, yeah he never used dual barretas, he did however use dual mp5's. That was the dark scene, you get a really clear shot, plus he was totally shooting fully auto. Yeah they didn't cheese the movie with shoot dodges, infact it's only in one shot, technically 2, but only 1 is really aimed at being a bullet time shot. They pretty much nailed the storyline, and the hallucinations were perfect. The only 2 things I can think of that could have been better, the Theme song yes it should have been the original. 2nd no pain killers -- bummer. Other than that, a small gripe maybe, the lack of vlad and captain baseball bat boy.... was soooo looking forward to captain baseball bat boy.

Anyways, definitely better then hitman. The acting was horrible, the plot was destroyed beyond recognition, hitman falls in love.... I mean wtf... Max is as true to the game as possible while still being entertaining as a movie. Go see it, I promise it's worth your money.

[MegaMustaine]

I just saw it and really cannot believe how far they deviated from the original game. The original game script with a little trimming here and there would have made for an excellent movie. Unfortunately the movie as it is now is a mess. The only redeeming factor is Whalberg as I felt he played a good Max Payne in a terrible movie. About the only good thing I can say about the movie is that it was better than the Doom movie.

Edit:

Had to disagree with the post above this. Hitman smokes this movie and is much truer to its source material IMHO. Also who the hell made the choice to make Balder look homeless?

Originally Posted by MegaMustaine

Edit:

Had to disagree with the post above this. Hitman smokes this movie and is much truer to its source material IMHO. Also who the hell made the choice to make Balder look homeless?

Lol, I was surprised to see a vagabond in the police car as well.

[Laokin]

Originally Posted by MegaMustaine

I just saw it and really cannot believe how far they deviated from the original game. The original game script with a little trimming here and there would have made for an excellent movie. Unfortunately the movie as it is now is a mess. The only redeeming factor is Whalberg as I felt he played a good Max Payne in a terrible movie. About the only good thing I can say about the movie is that it was better than the Doom movie.

Edit:

Had to disagree with the post above this. Hitman smokes this movie and is much truer to its source material IMHO. Also who the hell made the choice to make Balder look homeless?

Wow, the plot summary of the max payne movie and the max payne game boils down to the same paragraph in almost the exact same order. Yes, it's been trimmed a little -- but the story is the same.

As for hit man, did you even play any of them?? The source material was so far in a distant land of imagination to you if you think the movie was close to the games. First off, 47 -- check this it's kinda crucial, is a CLONE. In the movie he's a mother loving orphan. The "agency" was the only thing beside the name 47, that was in any of the games. Completely different story, they even had 47 copulate..... he does the exact opposite in the games... avoids any and all confrontation. Not to mention, his father.... lol who was non existing in the movie. Max Payne completely resembled the game, in every way possible... while hit man went totally hollywood, and changed EVERYTHING just like that mess Doom. No comparison, even reviews say it's better then hitman. Infact reviews are saying the movie is decent, they say good acting (not great), a completely coherent plot, short but sweet action, they review it bad for 2 reasons. Reason 1, not enough character development and the consensus is because there are too many characters -- mind you they trimmed a lot, including vlad. Reason 2, it took too long to get going. Everyone has this perception that this is an action movie.... and it's just really not. Get over it, enjoy the movie for what it is like Joe said.... it's definitely worth seeing. P.S. I saw it earlier tonight, there were dudes in Max Payne leather jackets.... and they walked out saying "That was definitely bad ass"

[Morry]

The best way I can put it is that you will have a better cinematic experience playing the game. The movie sucked, though it does show the quality of work Remedy showed when they made the game.

Originally Posted by Laokin

Max Payne completely resembled the game, in every way possible... while hit man went totally hollywood, and changed EVERYTHING just like that mess Doom. No comparison, even reviews say it's better then hitman. Infact reviews are saying the movie is decent, they say good acting (not great), a completely coherent plot, short but sweet action, they review it bad for 2 reasons. Reason 1, not enough character development and the consensus is because there are too many characters -- mind you they trimmed a lot, including vlad. Reason 2, it took too long to get going. Everyone has this perception that this is an action movie.... and it's just really not. Get over it, enjoy the movie for what it is like Joe said.... it's definitely worth seeing. P.S. I saw it earlier tonight, there were dudes in Max Payne leather jackets.... and they walked out saying "That was definitely bad ass"

I'm not sure you and I saw the same movie...

Spoiler:

show spoiler

Differences:
- No mobsters, meaning no Gognitti, no Punchinello, no Finitos, no Vlad
- No Inner Circle, no Woden
- Valkyr was made out to be an easily processed chemical, rather than a secret manufactured drug designed to fund Aesir
- Luppino is not an army test subject, he's a kingpin who has taken too much Valkyr and has gone crazy
- Mona is not Russian!
- Lisa is the wife of Don Punchinello and is in to tarot, not floating around on Valkyr
- Michelle Payne worked as a DA and was sent the Valhalla file by Woden, she never worked at Aesir

and the list goes on...

[Grande 3:16]

A reviewer on the radio this week said that it's full of action movie clichés (not much of a surprise really, seeing as that's what the game was meant to be), and that it looks like a cross between The Matrix and an Evanescence video.

I still wanna check it out though. I was never that much of a Max Payne zealot so I might enjoy it a bit more than most.

[Coolgamer]

I went opening night in my Max Payne shirt. I was not disappointed. Sure, there are some minor changes from the game plotline, but overall it was very detailed and engaging. They didn't cram action into every section that they could, but the sections they did were totally mindblowing. The special effects were stunning, and the Valkyrie sections were well done. I can't give away too much of it, but all I can say is don't listen to the negative reviews from the critics. This one, for me at least, was a winner.

[Laokin]

Originally Posted by Morry

The best way I can put it is that you will have a better cinematic experience playing the game. The movie sucked, though it does show the quality of work Remedy showed when they made the game.


I'm not sure you and I saw the same movie...

Spoiler:

show spoiler

Differences:
- No mobsters, meaning no Gognitti, no Punchinello, no Finitos, no Vlad
- No Inner Circle, no Woden
- Valkyr was made out to be an easily processed chemical, rather than a secret manufactured drug designed to fund Aesir
- Luppino is not an army test subject, he's a kingpin who has taken too much Valkyr and has gone crazy
- Mona is not Russian!
- Lisa is the wife of Don Punchinello and is in to tarot, not floating around on Valkyr
- Michelle Payne worked as a DA and was sent the Valhalla file by Woden, she never worked at Aesir

and the list goes on...

I'm pretty sure you didn't watch the movie -- Like I said, they made changes yes, but the story stays the same. If you watched the movie, and stayed after the credit roll, you would realize max payne 1 was broken into 2 movies, and Vlad is in the movie, it's a blink and you'll miss kinda shot, cleary shows a russian with a red alligator leather jacket on walking with 2 henchmen to his car.

P.S. You'll also note they didn't really provide much closure on the michele payne thing... what she saw, is kinda still up in the air. Watch the movie again, and expect changes ones that aren't too liberal, like changing the the birth of your main character like hitman, or making zombies a virus -- Doom. The plot is fundamentally the same, minus some work arounds to make it fit coherently into a 2 hour motion picture. Had they threw in the cognitti's and woden the movie woulda had to have been 4 hours easy just to not leave you confused when the credits roll. Either that, or they make 9 movies... good luck getting the cast to stick around for that. (3 for 1, 3 for 2, and presumably 3 for 3, cuz it's official max payne 3 is in the pipe now.)

Bottom line is, it IS a movie.... and it IS most definately based on the game. What they did to max payne is no different then what showtime did to Dexter. And asfar as I know, everyone loves dexter -- even tho they went all liberal on the books and totally changed/lopped/chopped it the eff up... it still works for what it is.

Bottom line is, you don't wanna make the movie the same as the game, because then you already know everything about it -- it makes for a better "entertaining" experience if their are changes.... but oh well, maybe you want the carbon copy.

[Commando Nukem]

Originally Posted by Laokin

Bottom line is, you don't wanna make the movie the same as the game, because then you already know everything about it -- it makes for a better "entertaining" experience if their are changes.... but oh well, maybe you want the carbon copy.

I dont know how many times people who say that have to be proven wrong by the box office numbers. Not one single unfaithful video game has done well at the box office after opening weekend. Not one. The clostest you get is Resident Evil, but its earnings were modest at best. Each movie got cheaper to accomadate that.

I'm pretty dissappointed. Max Payne could easily fit a two hour run time with very few changes. You could keep everything, the only thing you would honestly need to change is the obvious thing. Its a movie, not a game. Therefore you're not just watching gunplay for two hours. Honestly the movie could fit just fine in Two and a half hours and be entirely faithful to what is presented in the games. There was no need to drop or remove anything. If you want to make a different movie, then make a different movie. Max Payne is what it is, all its cliches, melodrama, and style go with the territory.

[MegaMustaine]

Originally Posted by Laokin

Bottom line is, it IS a movie.... and it IS most definately based on the game. What they did to max payne is no different then what showtime did to Dexter. And asfar as I know, everyone loves dexter -- even tho they went all liberal on the books and totally changed/lopped/chopped it the eff up... it still works for what it is.

Bottom line is, you don't wanna make the movie the same as the game, because then you already know everything about it -- it makes for a better "entertaining" experience if their are changes.... but oh well, maybe you want the carbon copy.

First thing I would like to point out is there really can be only one BOTTOM LINE, and the second is that you should have used there instead of their. The third is that, sure things from the game have to be changed from the game in order to fit into a movie format. The thing is, the writer\director should stick really close to the source material. Some things have to be changed because unfortunately movies have to fit into a certain time frame otherwise people won't go see it and I can definitely acknowledge that. But what you change has to make sense and has to change the plot for the better. To answer your point about Dexter, common dude! I have never seen Dexter and most people have never had any interaction with its source material, but from what I can tell from people's reactions to it, it is quality media. Max Payne however whether I had known about the source material or not really does not make a difference because the movie was terrible period. If it had been a quality piece of material that had changes that made sense I could respect the movie. As it is, it is a very generic movie with poor writing, casting, sound, and just about everything else you could think of. What I think pisses a lot of us off is just how great a roadmap the movie makers had to go from. Most game to movie adaptations have to work from some skimpy story that really isn't important nor fleshed out, but Max Payne was totally different.

[GreggD]

Everybody already hit on all of my gripes with the plot and such, except for one thing; BLUE Valkyr. It's supposed to be green, I mean did they really need to change that?

[K100]

What is the song in this Tv Spot ?

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=HwvCNt1cumU

[Laokin]

Originally Posted by GreggD

Everybody already hit on all of my gripes with the plot and such, except for one thing; BLUE Valkyr. It's supposed to be green, I mean did they really need to change that?

It's supposed to be injected too, but hey.... it's a movie.

[Commando Nukem]

Originally Posted by Laokin

it's a movie.

I didnt realise Green and injections were outlawed in movies.

[Laokin]

Sorry for the double post

[Laokin]

And I'm sorry, it has to be done. Do you guys want a list of things that were exactly the same as the game... they out weigh any list here posted opposite. It's leagues and leagues better than any game to movie adaptation yet. Your point about Dexter is moot, I'm sure a lot of people on these boards infact watch that show. I have been watching since season 1, and all of a sudden people keep calling me, "Dude you have to watch Dexter!" It's becoming very popular.

The sound? Really, you had issues with the sound of Max Payne? Every bullet sounded like a bullet, the speech was easy to hear, surround sound at my theater was perfect.... what could you possibly credit to "bad sound."

Casting, I called it back when Max Payne 2 came out -- Mark Whalberg. I don't honestly see the beef with him, he is a great actor and has the build of Max. Oh and please note you don't go around casting parts for movies based on an actors voice.... that wouldn't get you very far. So Mona looked a little young and Bravura was Ludacris....(pun intended) these are all things associated with fan boyism. I have yet to see one person list reason why the movie wasn't very good, that had nothing to do with minor changes from the game. Metacritic scores don't count, even if Max Payne was done 1:1 with the game, Metacritics would have scored it low.... Why you ask? Because they didn't like a story about a renegade cop chasing druggies for answers about his wife's murder... I even saw one review that compared Max to the Punisher.... obviously -- because he's a vigilante. Don't ya know The Punisher is the only one allowed to be a vigilante?

Spoiler:

show spoiler

During the scene of Michelle Payne's murder, there were 3 attackers, just like MP1
Alex stumbled upon a big case clue, and was murdered before he could tell max, just like MP1
Mona's sister is murdered, just like MP1
BB is a bad guy, just like MP1
Jim Bravura is chasing max because max is suspected of murdering Alex, just like MP1
The army was funding Aesir connected to V, just like MP1
Max's fight scene at RAGNAROK which results in the death of Jack Lupino, just like MP1
The first real part of max's quest starts in Roscoe Street Station, just like MP1
The druggies are exactly like MP1, mumbling things that seem to sound crazy, but are completely related to their hallucinations caused by V, Just like Max Payne 1
The Movie ends with the cops showing up to the Aesir building with max on the roof, Just like MP1
Max gets wounded and limps, just like Max from 1&2
Max gets visually beat up along his adventure just like mp1&2
Max consumes V and has hallucinations of his wife.... like MP1
The movie pays homage to max payne 1, by using the Valkyrie and Norse mytholgy ala the book you read at Ragnarok, explaining how Jack Lupino is in love with evil......
Nicole Horne is the prime suspect, just like MP1 (also must note, she still is the prime suspect, as she isn't dead thus Max Payne 1 being split into 2 movies, and I'm certain in the second movie we will see Vlad play a major role in the story... still can't believe nobody saw him in the movie. Also for the record, Woden will probably be in the second movie aswell, you just can't justify another 2 hour movie to kill one older lady with no weapon skills.)
The list goes on and on and on......

Isn't that the gist of the Max Payne story?
Max's Wife stumbles upon a conspiracy, being carried out by high government officials, is murdered -- follows max's spiral down hill as he runs into the ring of the criminal underworld looking for answers that result in him loosing a lot of close people to him, not knowing who to trust and ultimately bringing the Aesir corporation to it's knees? Because in that case, this is the plot summary of the movie too. You all must of failed to see that.

Name any game to movie adaptation that has such close ties with it's source material.... Yes, this is a challenge :-)

It's also important to note, the first Max Payne was split into TWO movies. In other words, the story is incomplete, and the character you think are missing, may not be missing at all... they may indeed be in a different chronological order, in order to make the first movie make sense without immediately seeing the second. Every sequel should stand on it's own two legs, and not rely on if the target audience has seen the first one of the series... this is business and that is sales... like it or lump it.

[Laokin]

Originally Posted by Commando Nukem

I didnt realise Green and injections were outlawed in movies.

Injected is actually outlawed... in PG-13 bud. Blue was a design decision, I can only imagine to separate the universe from the game universe. (see Spider-man vs ULTIMATE Spiderman, one makes web's naturally -- one uses cartridges. Also Dare Devil, the comic see's sound in the color of red, while the movie see's sound the color of blue, the king pin is African American in the movie, while in the comics, he's a lethargically fat man with a shiny bald head..... just 2 examples in a long list of many, including ones outside the comic book genre.... Book to movie adaptations.)

[Bojangles5477]

Originally Posted by Laokin

I'm certain in the second movie we will see Vlad play a major role in the story... still can't believe nobody saw him in the movie.

You're kidding, Vlad was in the movie? Where?

And also, what's with changing Mona's sisters' name from Lisa to Natasha?

[littlenick055]

Just came back from the movies to see it. My mom and my two brothers saw it with me. It was a pretty sweet. Here's a quick little review for the movie I'm going to write real quick.

Let me start off by saying, I love the Max Payne franchise, I played through both games multiple times. This movie is pretty bad-ass, here we go:

Video(looks, atmosphere)

They caught the perfect snowy, dirty New York that was featured in the game. Every outside scene, had heavy snowfall, just like Max Payne 1. Its a dark movie, it sort of has this gray tone over it, like nothing is a perfect color, there is no bright blues, there is only a dirty, gray look to it.

The Aesir building looks similar to the game, helipad on top, big antenna in the middle, almost all glass walls, looks pretty. Ragnarok has its run down look still. Max's house looks almost identical to the one is MP 1. Nothing else comes to mind now, basically, it has that great, dark, gritty tone they needed for the movie.

Actors/ Acting

Mark is great as Max, he has the same feel to him as Max does in the game. The tired, pissed off, cut-scene look. He is dressed differently though. He still wears his trade-mark leather jacket, but wears boots, and a turtle neck sweater. Mila looks good as Mona, but only the first time we see her. She is wearing her black coat, and her hair is in a bun like in MP 1. The rest of the time, she is dressed like a exotic dancer or something. Beau doesn't look like B.B, but does good as him. Luda is bad as Jim, though he looks nothing like him, we barely see him. Alex is played by the dad in grounded for life. He is pretty good as him, he has that same look to him, beard and all.
Mark's acting is perfect for Max in every way, shape, and form. He has that same feel to him. Tired, pissed, angry, and sad look, like I said before. Mila does okay as Mona, she isn't bad, but not great either. Alex is alright too, for the time we see him. Beau is okay as B.B also. He acts great in some parts, then is bad in others. Luda is bad. He is the worst out of all of them. He just doesn't fit the role of a serious cop. He looks like Dick Tracy painted brown, it feels weird.

Sound

Gun shots blare loud, and sound great! In bullet-time, you can hear a pin drop, it still has that sound it does in the game, sort off blank in a way. The actors tone of voice are believable. There is no music almost at all, no MP theme either, kind of a disappointment.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

There is no dialogue, only in the beginning and end. In the beginning we hear: "I don't believe in heaven, I believe in pain, death, misery, suffering. There's an army of bodies under this river, criminals, ran out of time, out of friends. Next time they drag this river they won't be able to say I was any better than the rest of them. I can fell the dead down there, grabbing at my feet, reaching up to welcome me as one of their own. It was an easy mistake to make."
At the end he says: "I don't believe in heaven, but I believe in angels."

Changes(SOME SPOILERS)

The movie has its fair share of changes though. Max meets Mona way earlier in the story. B.B is a replacement of Horne, taking her place as sort of the kingpin. Jack is killed by B.B. There is no Vinnie and Vlad. Valkyr is blue now. That's about all the major stuff.

Overall

Great movie. Don't miss it. Don't listen to the negative reviews, its Great! The ending is good, same as the 1st MP. You are glad Max got his revenge and it makes you want to play the game again. The movie doesn't have a ton of action in it, but the action scenes make the wait in between worth while. I give it a nine out of ten.


I'll be checking back from time to time, fell free to ask questions about the movie also. Thanks for reading!

[Laokin]

Originally Posted by Bojangles5477

You're kidding, Vlad was in the movie? Where?

And also, what's with changing Mona's sisters' name from Lisa to Natasha?

Well the change from Lisa to Natasha I can only imagine they felt was needed, since they took the Punchinello family out of the movie. She was connected to the crime family, had she had still been, then we would have seen a lot of mafia stuff in the movie. My guess is they cut that to make time/rating/less confusing crammed packed movie.

Vlad was totally in there, they didn't mention him by name -- but they made it a point to show max notice this man... that was clearly russian.

There is a scene that shows Max walking down the street and he looks at 3 men, 1 super duper Russian looking man with a Red Alligator Jacket on, followed by 2 of his henchmen in suits getting into a black car.

Vlad in MP 1 drove around with at least 1 other guy in a black car. The first time Max see's him in game, they don't meet -- he just see's him drive past after blowing up a car. Max just see's this guy getting into his black car, he definitely looked like he was made of money with that jacket, which I must add was completely out of place in the movie, since every one was either a cop or a druggie, plus he definitely looked like a Russian man, maybe a Slovak, but the actor was definitely some part Russian. This is why I don't think it was merely a coincidence.... The odds would be completely outrageous if this wasn't intended.

[Ajaxx]

Seeing this movie was like going to visit an old friend who made it big and instead finding him coked-out on a used commode; letting strangers take turns pissing on him for money.

It was that bad.
It hurt that much to see it.

I'd be interested to know what Sam Lake honestly thought of it.

[K100]

I see the movie and I like it !
No I love it !!!

It's not minimum payne, it's not medium payne, it's Max Payne !!!

[Ajaxx]

Indeed.

I got "Max Payne" from watching that tripe.

[Commando Nukem]

Originally Posted by Laokin

Injected is actually outlawed... in PG-13 bud. Blue was a design decision, I can only imagine to separate the universe from the game universe.

This is just like the BFG in Doom. There is no logical reason, and no rational explination to change something that was perfectly fine and dandy as GREEN to BLUE.

Guess what? Many of us didnt want to go to the theatre and see an alternate universe. Some of wanted something very simple - Max Payne.

Not an altered Hollywoodised film. Seriously. Doom and Mario had the excuse of the games having very little story. There was no excuse for this to turn out the way it did.

But of course. I'm just a "hater."