Max Payne (Unrated Edition) [Blu-ray]

Suspend disbelief and enjoy!
The Blu-ray Disc includes the Theatrical Version and the Unrated, Extended Cut. We watched the 'Extended Cut' and were not disappointed. They spared no change in producing this film. If you want to see the best your Blu-ray system can deliver, then look no further. It was extraordinarily beautiful---almost 3D like. I'm left to think of some of the snow scenes and how I felt I could reach out and capture the giant snowflakes---how I reached for a throw, suddenly feeling a chill.

I thought Mark Wahlberg did a splendid job portraying Payne. I was immediately drawn into the storyline with him seeking those responsible for the brutal murders of his wife and baby and how he was willing to die to avenge their deaths. His grief and anger were palpable and justifiable.

I've enjoyed Max Payne video games and I don't feel that they did an injustice to the gaming fans, with this production. I could easily translate Mark Wahlberg's character and the setting, into that...

Great action & camera but that's about it
I enjoyed this movie for the action and cinematography but that was about it. The gun play is fantastic, and it reminded me of the movie "Desperado," starring Antonio Banderas and Joachim Almeida (it even featured Cheech Marin as the bartender) from 10 or 15 years ago in its emphasis on fancy gun play. That much was entertaining at least.

I didn't mind that the plot was full of holes (after all, the movie is based on a video game so I wasn't expecting anything profound there),but unfortunately, the worst thing about the movie is that Wahlberg, who is certainly a talented actor and who I like, just doesn't seem that involved in the role. His whole performance is somewhat wooden, and from his past roles he's certainly capable of better. He's also a quite competent martial artist and quite athletic, reminding me of Lawrence Olivier when he was young, who used to do all his own stunts, when he broke a lot of bones. My generation only remembers Olivier from his senior years'...

Max Payne
Three years ago, NYPD detective Max Payne's wife and baby were murdered. Max gets himself transferred to the cold case office where he can continue searching for the killer who got away. He's a loner, but two people reach out to him during a fateful week: Alex, his ex-partner who may have found a clue, and BB, the security chief at the pharmaceutical company where Max's wife worked. Meanwhile, bodies are piling up, some as a result of a drug on the street that is highly addictive and, for many who take it, brings hideous hallucinations. When one of the bodies is a woman Payne was the last to see alive, her sister comes looking for him armed to the teeth; Max must move fast.
I thought this movie was pretty good. If you ever played the games and liked it, then you will like the movie. Great action and great visuals.

Click to Editorial Reviews