Payne in the Max

Max Payne (2008)
I had high hopes for this movie. The game itself was dark and violent, but pretty fun as far as I can recall. I was hoping the movie would be similar.
Unfortunately Hollywood mucked it up, and it fell short of it's potential.
It was minimally entertaining, and it felt like they could have done a better job.
I couldn't really get behind Mark Walburg's character's motivation. He didn't sell me on this feelings of having his wife and child murdered.
Also the action that did occur occasionally (not enough action for my taste!), was ridiculous, it was as if that's when the director must have remembered it was based on a video game and so should not follow any sort of realism at all.
They used the movie shotgun physics where if you get shot by a shotgun, you fly back 10-15 feet. Um..... wouldn't the equal action reaction law make the shooter also fly back 10-15 feet? Why do movies forget this fact? Sure getting shot by a shotgun might make you fall down or collapse... but actually leaving the ground and flying through the air into a wall?? I don't think so.... It was fun to watch this stuff as a kid, but as a (semi) educated adult, it just pulls me out of the movie.

Also, the plot seems to make no direction or sense until about 1/3 into the movie, just lots of messed up dirty characters to meet and greet.
Even when the plot was becoming more clear, I could easily predict who was involved with the conspiracy. I definitely wasn't on the edge of my seat.

Bottom line: If you really love mr. marky mark or weird movies with angel imagery then you might like it. If you prefer movies that make sense and are more exciting, maybe watch Resident Evil (even with zombies it made more sense than this movie).