Max Payne Blu-ray delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg) is a maverick cop with little regard for rules and nothing left to
lose. Hell-bent on revenge, he’s determined to track down those responsible for the brutal
murder of his family, but his obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmarish journey where
dark fantasy collides with stark reality. As the mystery deepens, Max is forced to battle
enemies beyond the natural world...and face an unthinkable betrayal that will drive him to the
edge of his own sanity.
I don't believe in Heaven. I believe in pain, I believe in fear, I believe in death.
What is it about hit video games making for very mediocre movies? Max Payne is the
latest
to go from the digital realms of PCs and into the celluloid world of the big screen, and once again,
the results are mixed. Certainly not a horrendous film, Max Payne is just average, a
fairly
dull and routine movie from start to finish that at least tries to be a step above. The film earns
an "A" for effort but a "C" for execution. It's clear that its purpose is to try and be more than a
loud and dumb action extravaganza, and parts of the movie do work in that regard. Still, the
movie just can't overcome a bland script with transparent characters and obvious plot twists.
The film works just a bit too hard to be a true "leave your brain at the door" experience. It tries
to be too much, to cater to too many audiences, and ends up as something that pushes the right
buttons but doesn't really deliver the outcome expected of it. As the credits roll, it
becomes clear that the movie is just another in a growing list of decent, but not at all
memorable, video game-turned movie adaptations, much like Hitman or Doom.
No Payne, no gain.
Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg, The Happening)
spends his days working the cold case files as a New York City detective, and his nights
attempting to piece together the unsolved murder of his family. As Max tracks down more clues,
he discovers a potent new drug that offers highly hallucinogenic powers to its users. Originally
developed to be a super-soldier serum for use by the military, it was found mostly ineffective save
for a select few. When one of the drug's users is found mutilated, Max's old partner, Alex Balder
(Donal Logue), links this murder with that of Max's wife, but he, too, is killed before he is able to
share the information with Max. Nevertheless, Max works to find the information and, with the
help of his father's former partner, B.B. (Beau Bridges, Stargate: The Ark of
Truth), begins to piece the puzzle of his family's murder together. As Max gets closer to
the truth, his true enemy reveals himself, leading him to a devastating realization and a bloody
showdown.
There are some good concepts at work here, and the film captures the solemnity of a man still
fighting the most difficult minutes of his life years after the fact. Mark Wahlberg, despite a
hit-or-miss script, delivers a decent performance, definitely not memorable, but suitable to the
material
and style of the movie. The remainder of the cast play throwaway characters and are good
enough, but are not overly developed. Then again, they don't really need to be, considering the
film is hardly all that deep, despite its best efforts to be otherwise. At day's end, the movie
is entitled Max Payne, a title that, whether the viewer has played the game or
not, instantly brings to
mind visions of extreme violence, a one-man wrecking crew pulling off his best Arnold in Commando
impersonation, laying waste to dozens, if not hundreds, of faceless bad guys who serve no
purpose than to be mowed down around each corner. Unfortunately, despite the title, the movie
sees very little action during the first two acts, and the first act, in particular, which plays out as
more of a character study than anything else, is the best part of the film. Once the bullets really
start flying during the final 30 minutes or so, the excitement picks up, but there is nothing to
set the action apart from most any other Action film out there. It sounds great and is fun to
watch, but it's also completely forgettable.
Max Payne aims for a sort of hybrid style. Director John Moore
(Behind Enemy Lines)
does
his best to lend to the film a gritty, cold, depressing atmosphere, much like the post-murder
world
in which Max Payne lives, as well as creating several scenes that seem to be game-inspired, all
coming together with something of a supernatural, even if only drug-induced, twist. Still,
the movie drags in the middle, and despite a fair amount of action in the final act, the
semi-supernatural flair doesn't seem to fit with the themes of the first half of the movie, nor does
the
surprise revelation near the end add all that much to the experience.
Max Payne seems to want to be the best of several worlds, the gritty
police drama, the pseudo-supernatural thriller, and the guns-blazing action extravaganza. All
three are
genres that have pretty much been done to death, and done better than presented here. Much
like
was the case with Constantine, which
sort of tried to do something similar, Max Payne loses focus by trying to be too many
things at once.
No eye strain with Max Payne on Blu-ray; 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release once again
delivers the goods, this 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer another winner. The film is generally dark
and bleak, bathed in shades of dark gray and blue with plenty of dark corners and backgrounds that
are reproduced with fine clarity. This is definitely not the kind of film that jumps off the screen with
vibrant hues and amazing depth, but what it does is shine in the context of its intended look, and
the results often blow viewers away, as much as the weapons Max packs in every scene. Detail is
never washed out, as faces, building façades, clothing, and all sorts of objects appear realistic.
Background objects remain clear and sharp, too. Grain is light, but the film manages to retain a
slightly gritty appearance thanks in large part to its drab color scheme. Flesh tones often take on a
cold, lifeless, almost ghastly appearance, though in the context of the oftentimes icy look of the
picture, they fit in well. Everything adds up to what makes for a very high quality Blu-ray image
that looks about as good as a first-rate theatrical presentation.
Max Payne shoots up Blu-ray with a fabulous DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack.
Although likely to be enjoyed first and foremost for its amazing action segments, this track also
creates a strong atmosphere, with all the channels working to bring a subtle rumble during some
scenes, the bustling sounds of a busy office in others, the flickering of a fluorescent light here,
and the pouring of rain there. Still, it is the action, and the gunfire in particular, that makes the
track the high-octane extravaganza that it is. The shots from Payne's Taurus Judge revolver
rumble with alarming authority. The entire track shakes, rattles, and rolls, both subtly and
powerfully, with the surround speakers working overtime to bring the movie to life. Some
segments, a party in chapter four, for example, are artificially drowned out in favor of the
dialogue, not very realistic but an artistic license needed to allow the scene to work. The film's
first major shoot-out comes in chapter 17 and is an impressive sonic accomplishment, standing
toe-to-toe with the best shoot-out scenes yet on Blu-ray, featuring gunfire that erupts from
every square inch of the listening area, both full auto bursts from a SWAT team's armaments and
semi-automatic shots from Payne's Beretta pound and impact on all sorts of surfaces. This is
easily one of the most aggressive tracks on the market when the action gets going. Rounding
out an excellent soundtrack is precise dialogue reproduction. Max Payne, sonically,
anyway, is a true champion on Blu-ray.
Max Payne fails to "Max"-imize the number of supplements available in this package.
First
up is a commentary track featuring Director John Moore, Production Designer Daniel Dorrance,
and Visual Effects supervisor Everett Burrell. No surprise, the track is more technical in nature,
and generally serious, discussing how various shots were composed, pointing out several final
touches, mentioning the performances of the various cast members, the costuming, providing a
few anecdotes from the set, and more. The track flows well and is generally engaging, though it
plays as mostly standard stuff. As is the case with most commentaries, all but die-hard fans may
wish to skip this one. Michelle Payne (Graphic Novel) (480p, 13:40) fills in a few
of the blanks left by the movie, chronicling Max's wife's final moments and her discovery of the
information that ultimately led to her death.
Picture is a two-part documentary (480p, 29:01 & 29:39) that is a lengthy but still
rather basic piece that chronicles the making of the film, featuring a bevy of cast and crew
interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and all of the usual suspects. Fans will see Wahlberg in
make-up, plenty of set-ups for various shots, some clowning around on-set, and some candid
comments from director John Moore and others. It's mostly fluff and not all that interesting to
watch. The disc also offers a BonusView (Blu-ray Profile 1.1) feature, available with the theatrical
version of the film. Entitled 'Walkthroughs and Cheats' Making 'Max Payne', the piece
examines the making of various scenes from the film. It plays in a small window over the bottom
right-hand corner of the screen, and is only available with the theatrical version of the film. The
segments are available separate from the movie, and play in standard definition with a runtime
of 53:24. Finally, the first disc is concluded with 1080p trailers for Babylon A.D. and
Mirrors. Disc two of
this set contains a digital copy of the film. Played back on a second generation iPod touch, the
image looks fine with the usual problems associated with digital copy content minimized, with
blacks that lack an abundance of pixelation and limited banding. The audio is rather ho-hum, as
expected, with limited range and clarity.
Max Payne is a routine video game-turned-movie adaptation that sees about equal parts of
good and bad. The film succeeds as a character study of a man coping with the loss of his family;
works well enough, though not memorably, as an action picture; and fails in trying to be too much
rather staying focused, particularly with regards to the super-solider and pseudo-supernatural
angles. Perhaps it played better in the video games, but the translation to film is certainly mixed, at
best. The film's few redeeming qualities, not to mention killer soundtrack, do make it worth
watching once, particularly on Blu-ray. Aside from the already-mentioned dynamic soundtrack, the
disc also features an impressive video transfer and a nice selection of supplements. Max
Payne is best enjoyed as a rental, particularly when viewers crave a loud and immersive sound
experience.
Fox Home Entertainment has announced the technical specs and special features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of 'Max Payne', which is due to hit store shelves on January 20th, day-and-date with the DVD release. Coming on a BD-50 with a digital copy, video will ...
Early advertisement material has revealed that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will bring the Mark Wahlberg video game-based film 'Max Payne' in its unrated form to Blu-ray on January 20th, day-and-date with the DVD release. Technical specs have not been announced ...
