Max Payne review

If I had my druthers, I would have made the movie just an exact remake of all the cut scenes in the game. It would have been narrative, with a film noir/graphic novel style. However, I can see why they wouldn't do that. So that being said, as a die-hard max payne fan, I think they did a helluva job. They threw in so many references to the game. 

The first thing that stands out is the settings. They hit pretty much every backdrop from the game; max's house was pretty good, the Aesir building, the docks, the storage containers, all the way down to Ragnarok. The only significant places they left out are the old foundry, with the military base underneath (where they did all the valkyre experiments) and the Asgrad building (big classic library looking building where he met Alfred Woden).

They also got most of the characters in there, Mona, Lupino, Bravura, BB, Alex, Michelle, even a Vinnie Gognitti reference! Of course they completely left out Woden and his whole crew, as well as Don Punchinello (and obviously his mansion wasn't in the movie either).

The characters bring me to the first of three things that pissed me off. WHO THE HELL IS NATASHA? In the game, Mona Sax's twin sister is named Lisa Punchinello. I guess since they left out the entire Punchinello story line, they had to change this. Still, I don't like it. Second, the Aesir corporation. IT'S PRONOUNCED ACE-ER LIKE THE COMPUTER COMPANY, NOT AUSEER OR WHATEVER IN THE HELL THEY SAY IN THE MOVIE. Third, HE DIDN'T KILL HORNE! I'm not even sure Nicole Horne was in the movie, but I'm pretty sure that's who BB's boss was supposed to be, I just never caught her name.

So overall I think it was really good. I don't think Wahlberg "nailed" Max Payne, but he did a fine job. The only person I would have picked over him would be Ray Liotta. In my opinion, the thing that would have put the movie into the "great" category for me would have been some witty and gritty narration. That's what made the game SO classic. His tone and words spoke volumes against the backdrop of the dreary city. You got the idea it wasn't just about Michelle and his daughter; Max wanted them all to die. It was for everyone's wife and daughter. He wanted them all to pay. 

"You play, you pay, you bastard" - Max Payne

p.s. You don't think the dialog made the game? Try doing a google search for favorite max payne quote.