When I first saw Max Payne come out at the theatres I was very excited. I love Mark Wahlberg. Ever since he played the over controlling (that is such an understatement), psychotic, and hunky boyfriend in “Fear” – I knew that he was going to be a fantastic actor. Then he has 2 movies come out back to back, M. Night Shymalan’s “The Happening” and “Max Payne”. I managed to catch “The Happening” at the theatre (which we will discuss later), but due to bad timing had to wait for the DVD of “Max Payne”

I wish I had kept on waiting.

To say I was disappointed by this film is as much an understatement as saying that Wahlberg’s character in “Fear” was controlling. I kept watching the movie waiting, hoping for something to grab at me. It never did.

I hate doing reviews like this. I like being able to find something redeeming in a film, but other than Wahlberg’s continuing hunkiness, it just ain’t there.

What makes me even madder is that the trailer clips had me so hooked and expecting something totally different from what the film was. I went in hoping for a cross between “The Punisher” and “Constantine”. I still think this is what the writers and directors were aiming for. I think this is what Wahlberg was aiming for. But he neither pulled off the vengeful, angry pain of Thomas Jane nor the “I don’t care about anything” calm of Keanu Reeves. Instead he just seemed dead in the water.

And the demons and angels that kept making appearances throughout the film – well I think they were supposed to be hallucinations. Except the film kept making halfhearted attempts to bring in the mythology of the Norse (through a tattoo artist.) I was never satisfied as to whether they were real or delusions. I don’t think the writers could decide, so thought they would leave it up to the audience. (Hint for Hollywood film-makers: YOU make the film, WE watch it.) I can only think of a very few movies where that kind of ending works, and most of them have Anthony Hopkins in them.

Loosely based on the video game by the same name, essentially the movie is about a cop (Wahlberg) whose wife and baby were murdered and he’s trying to find revenge for them. His search for their killers leads him into a murky world where people fight and feel that to die in any way other than fighting means they will go to hell. (Pretty violent society, hmmm?) And everyone he has contact with has a strange set of winged tattoos on their arms. Soon he is running from the cops for a murder that he is framed for. He can’t tell good from bad, wrong from right, or up from down. And it looks like everyone he thought was a friend is an enemy.

It does have some great camera work and special effects, and if you are in the mood for a shoot-em-up movie without a lot of brain power, this one will suffice. If you try to use brain power, be forewarned that you may wind up very confused and disappointed however.

Max Payne is rated PG-13 for violence, drug use, mild sexuality, and strong language. The DVD also comes with and UNRATED version which has all the same – but the violence is cranked up quite a bit. Be sure you know which you are playing when the kiddos are in the room. Also, for once, the theatrical version IS actually better than the uncut version. At least it made marginally more sense to me.