Max Payne

Max Payne makes the transition from video game to movie easily, turning out a dark action movie that is a definite hit.

Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg) is in a dead end position in the unsolved cases department within the police force in New York City. While dark and brooding, Max is determined to find the people who killed his wife and child, alienating everyone close to him along the way. After a mysterious string of deaths, Max's old partner Alex (Donal Logue) comes across a possible lead. An arranged meeting gone wrong leaves another dead body and everyone believing that Max is a killer.

Following his old partners lead, Max gets swept up into a world of tattoos, mythological angels, guns and drugs. Ignoring the advice of an old friend, BB (Beau Bridges), Max is hell bent on discovering the truth.

With the help of Mona (Mila Kunis), whose sister was one of the mysteriously murdered, Max stumbles across a conspiracy that leads him down an unexpected path, filled with gun fights, back stabbing and death.

While most video games turned movies turn out horribly, like Silent Hill and Resident Evil 2 & 3, Max Payne was actually good. While the movie seems like it is taking a poor choice of paths, it redeems itself.

While the beginning of the movie is a little slow, the action picks up at the end, making the wait well worth it. It added to the enjoyment of the movie that they kept all of the same names of Max's friends, the drug everyone is addicted to, and even the places he goes the same as in the video games. It is often the little details that help make a movie better.

Wahlberg (The Happening) was perfect for the role. No one pulls off the dark and angry hero quite as well as he does.

Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) was also good in her role as being tough and strong, which is a little different for her.

Ronal Logue and Beau Bridges were also good in their supporting roles.

Watch for small roles by Ludacris and Chris O'Donnell.

I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good action movie and was a fan of the two PC games.

Final Words: Saw it. Liked it. Loved the use of bullet time.