Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Fox Home Entertainment – 103 minutes – 2008 – Rated PG-13 and Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS HD 5.1 Lossless Audio – Digital Copy

Movies based on videogames still are not on the level where they are taken seriously. Some have made a ton of money, such as the Tomb Raider and Resident Evil flicks, while others are unbearable, such as anything with Uwe Boll’s name attached to it. But Hollywood is going to keep trying until the day comes when they get one right. Max Payne is the latest effort to fuse games and movies, now available on Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment.

THE MOVIE

Mark Wahlberg is New York City Detective Max Payne, a cop who is suffering everyday after he discovered his family brutally murdered. He has never found the ones responsible, but hunts for them day-by-day. After the death of a woman, who is the sister of a Russian mob queen named Mona Sax,(Mila Kunis), Payne finds clues that may bring him closer to the answers he’s been looking for. Forced to team up with the gun-toting femme fatale, Mona, Payne enters a dark world filled with killers, drugs and friends who are actually worse than his own enemies, on a mission to end his nightmare once and for all.

The main issue with Max Payne is that it takes itself way too seriously, and removes all the elements that attracted you to play the videogames. It seems that Director John Moore was more interested than the look of the film, than the actual story itself. For an action film that is based on a game that is filled with non-stop action, there is not much offered on the screen. The film would have worked much better if it went for a more direct John Woo approach and just delivered the high voltage gunplay you get from playing the game.

Unfortunately, the only thing that makes you aware that this film is based on the game is the title character’s name. Otherwise if you changed the title and a few names in the script, this could just have been released as another Mark Wahlberg movie. The one thing the movie does have going for it is the production value, which is a cross between Sin City and The Dark Night and obviously The Matrix, delivering a film noir style that makes you wish you were watching it with a more involving story.

Max Payne is not an entirely bad film, it’s just boring, and not the movie you think it’s going to be when you it down and watch it. If you loved the Max Payne games, you’re going to hate this movie. If you’ve never played any of the games and you’re watching this as a first timer, you may find it entertaining, but on a tilt.

VIDEO

Presented in full 1080p with a 2.35:1aspect ratio, Max Payne looks fantastic on Blu-ray, and the style of the film itself may keep you watching, especially if you’re new to high definition. The movie goes for a noir style, so it shows off very small amounts of bright colors in favor of deep blacks and grays that stand out, giving you everything you expect from a Blu-ray. If you ignore the story, this one is a visual winner.

AUDIO

Again here’s another Blu-ray where the video and sound are far more impressive than the film itself. With a DTS HD 5.1 Lossless Master Audio mix, if you have a home sound system you will be blown away. Careful attention to detail was created for the sound of the bullets, allowing you feel as if guns are being fired in your living room. The music score itself is also effective, delivering the atmosphere that is the world of Max Payne.

EXTRAS

This Blu-ray offers a nice package of goodies, including both the theatrical and unrated versions of the film, as well a Digital Copy.

An audio commentary features Director John Moore, Production Designer Daniel Dorrance and Visual Effects Supervisor Everette Burrell.

Picture is a behind the scenes documentary of the making of Max Payne, that makes it look like all it takes to make a movie is people kissing each other’s asses.

Michelle Payne is a full motion graphic novel that shows the backstory of the murder of Max Payne’s family. This is probably one of the best features on the disc.

Via Bonus View you can access a picture-in-picture (PiP) view that shows behind the scenes footage of the making of the film.

A Digital Copy allows you to watch the unrated version of the film on your mobile device.

BOTTOM LINE

Max Payne will be added to the growing list of videogame-based films trying to cash in on the industry. Although it’s a mediocre film, the Blu-ray offers incredible image and sound quality and a good batch of bonus features. Unless you are a die hard fan of Mark Wahlberg, this film is a rental, but if you can catch a good deal to get it for under twenty bucks, it’s worth having just to demo your HDTV and sound system.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.0

Video: 4.5

Sound: 4.5

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.0