With Jim Sabatini

Max Payne

Rated: PG-13 violence including intense shooting sequences, drug content, some sexuality and brief strong language
Reviewed by: Nina
Release date: October 17, 2008	Released by: Twentieth Century Fox

Sometimes it’s easier to go see a movie when you don’t know anything about it so you can be pleasantly surprised to find a gem; unfortunately it was not the case with Max Payne – I couldn’t decide it if was fantasy, scary movie, drama or a comedy spoof! It stars Mark Wahlberg as detective Max Payne, secretly working in the cold case division on his own family’s murder. He generally walks around scowling at everyone and being disagreeable.

The story is about the drug company that manufactured this drug to make soldiers more aggressive and it seems they may be responsible for the deaths of Max’s family. He stumbles upon a clue regarding the identity of this group and begins his quest to prove them to be the killers. Beau Bridges plays BB Hensley, Max’s father’s old partner, trying to seemingly keep Max out of trouble but it turns out he’s really trying to cover up his part in the murders; Max’s ex-partner, played by a scruffy faced Donal Logue, is killed trying to help Max and Ludacris is the internal affairs officer also in the mix. Unfortunately, none of these actors help this slow moving, sepia-toned movie with little pockets of action.

There are gunfights in slow motion, gruesome deaths, weird black shadows and several fires of hell scenes that are real or not real - it’s hard to tell. This adaptation of a comic book/video game is a little weak for my taste and seemed overlong for a movie with no action. It’s dark and vague and you have to work to hard to figure out what is happening. Are they angels or demons? Is it funny or scary? I was a little disappointed but it had Marky Mark in it – always nice to look at! And I think you should bring a snack in your pocket, because after this movie is done, you’ll be mad you spent the money for popcorn!