Max Payne

The history of video games that have been turned into live action movies goes back to 1993 and Super Mario Bros. Of course that was a side scroller with minimal plot. Today I went to see Max Payne. The difference between Super Mario Bros and Max Payne as video games is profound. Super Mario Bros grew purely out of the a desire to build a fun game within the limits of the technology of the time.

Max Payne, on the other hand, was heavily influenced by Hong Kong action movies. Its central feature, bullettime, seemed to be drawn directly from The Matrix. So how did it fare returning to its roots as a movie?

I'd have to say results were mixed. There are some truly awe-inspiring visuals set up throughout the film, but the intensity of the action scenes is blunted due to the PG-13 rating. In the Hong Kong action movies, the old ultraviolence never seemed squeamish, and neither did Max Payne the video game. The movie, however, feels somewhat constrained in that regard, and it shows.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

For the record, here are the movies based on video games that I've seen:

Double Dragon
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
Wing Commander
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Pokémon 4Ever - Celebi, Voice of the Forest
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Resident Evil
Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Doom
Resident Evil: Extinction

None so far have gotten 5 out of 5 stars from me. The closest is Resident Evil, that I'd give 4 stars. I do have hopes for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, on of my favorite video games of all time and one that prides itself on its cinematic sequences. I have great hopes for director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral). Here's hoping!