Minimum plot, Max Payne

Max Payne's silver screen debut highlights not just the long running trend of poor video game movies, but their quality in mirroring the lackluster storytelling of the source material.

Bottoming out at an abysmal 28 average on Metacritic, the motion picture adaptation of Max Payne is already shooting blanks before opening day. Tomorrow's release of the action flick based on Remedy and 2K Games well-received series is more than just another example of bad video game movie making--it's simply bad storytelling.

The San Francisco Chronicle calls the story "flat," while the New York Daily News cries the plot "has more holes than a shot-up metal door."

Minimum plot, Max Payne

Point and shoot--just like a game, right?

These low, low scores for the film starkly contrast with those for the games. We gave an impressive five star-rating to the original Max Payne, with a respectable four-star rating going to the sequel--so what gives?

Truth be told, shallow storytelling has long been a hallmark of video gaming. That Max Payne the movie would draw so heavily from its source would be a great thing, if it weren't for the hollow nature of the plot at play. Only recently have games begun breaking from this underwhelming tradition with titles like Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and BioShock.

The real question is whether to expect more narrative duds or the rise of compelling stories. What do you think?

Comments [15]

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EaglesPhreak92

I thought this was a bad idea to start with. Now lets see the God of War or BioShock movies. Those [might] be pretty cool. Too bad they picked a suck-ass director for GoW.

LivingTheLegend

I agree, the director for GOW should be renamed the wrecktor or something. He sure did wreck the great franchise known as the X-men movies. X-2 was amazing and 3 well.....slightly better then rush hour. groan.

slickjames

I thought a max payne movie was a great idea at first. The game had such a real story that was about a man losing everything his job his family even being set up to look like he killed his partner then going on a one man killing spree against the world. I never played part 2 so I don't know if it had angels and demons but when I saw the preview for the movie that messed up the whole movie for me. If studios want to make movies based on games then it should be based on the game don't just put a games name on the movie like resident evil and make the movie have nothing in common with the game that's just plain stupid.

war02orc

You want to know what REALLY sucks? Video game movie adaptions that don't follow the story of the video game. For example Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. The movie by itself was pretty good. It was entertaining and interesting. However, the fact that it didn't follow the plot of any of the Final Fantasy games or include any known Final Fantasy characters SUCKED! So, imagine this. What if for Max Paye the movie they decided "The game's story is a bit too shallow" and then decided to follow a completely different storyline, maybe like making Max a villan against Superman? So honestly if the movie is absolutely true to the game, then I'm fine with that even if it doesn't turn out so great.

slickjames

war02orc wrote:

You want to know what REALLY sucks? Video game movie adaptions that don't follow the story of the video game. For example Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. The movie by itself was pretty good. It was entertaining and interesting. However, the fact that it didn't follow the plot of any of the Final Fantasy games or include any known Final Fantasy characters SUCKED! So, imagine this. What if for Max Paye the movie they decided "The game's story is a bit too shallow" and then decided to follow a completely different storyline, maybe like making Max a villan against Superman? So honestly if the movie is absolutely true to the game, then I'm fine with that even if it doesn't turn out so great.

I agree with you, if they make a movie based on a game make it about the game don't just make any crappy movie and put a games name on it just to sell a few tickets. Also game companies need to take better care of their properties. Any game maker should know that someone like Uwe Bole is just gonna make a crappy movie so why ever let him do it. Game companies should care about their work more. I know if I spent years making a good game and made it a big selling francise I wouldn't want to risk losing all that just to make a few bucks off a crappy movie.

Apollian

I think people should not make video game movies unless they have four letters in the title, and starts with a H and ends with an O.

Meska2

i think directors should get the writing team that writes the story to write the skit for the movies, i think it would be better, i mean who better to tell a story then the writers of the franchise( i,e Max Payne, Resident evil)

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