Video (game) nasty…

There’s something about video games that stops them translating well to the big screen. Super Mario Brothers, Street Fighter, Alone in the Dark, Hitman… all far, far better in the console than the DVD player. Sadly, Max Payne joins these ranks as, despite looking impressive on screen it just doesn’t hold together as a movie.

Max Payne (Wahlberg) is a police detective in New York City, fuelled by a desperate need to avenge the murders of his family. When he finally starts putting the pieces of the puzzle together, the trail leads him to the pharmaceutical company where his wife worked, and to the fiery assassin Mona Sax (Kunis). But can the pair stay alive long enough to discover the truth?

With a highly stylized look, there’s no doubt that Max Payne is visually arresting but with its plothole-ridden script and reliance on action clichés – including the John Woo/Matrix inspired obligatory slow-mo bullet action – it’s all looks and no brain. Even Wahlberg, who has proved himself to be a fine actor, hasn’t got the strength to breathe any unique life into the humdrum proceedings. 2 stars

Extra Features
The DVD contains just the Harder Cut of the film, with a few minutes of extended action sequences. The Blu-ray release has a Picture-in-Picture Walkthrough, commentary with director John Moore, Production Designer Daniel Dorrance and Visual Effects Supervisor Everett Burrell, an animated graphic novel plus a digital copy of the movie.

ROLL CREDITS..
Stars Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Ludacris
Director John Moore
Distributor Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent.
Format DVD & Blu-ray
Released April 13th