Max Payne recently showed up in my netflix queue and since I watched it, I thought I might review it.
First off, this is a movie based on a video game, wait, make that two video games, or rather a series.
Having never played the games, I knew nothing about this franchise, but I assumed it involved blood, violence, and guns, lots of guns.
This review will be mostly spoiler free.
Detective Max Payne lost his wife and daughter to 3 men who attacked and killed them one day an unspecified length of time ago. He came home in the middle of it and shot and killed two of the perp, only to see the third go out the window. Since then he has been working to find the third man.
He meets a girl who is on drugs and who’s sister (Mila Kunis) is Russian Mafia. Girl pretends to have info for him, and gets him to take her to his place where she gets naked and tries to get him to sleep with her, he tells her to get out, and she swipes his wallet on her way. She of course winds up dead in the next scene and Max’s old partner asks him why she has his wallet. Her distinctive tattoo leads back to one of Max’s wife’s killers.
Now here is where it gets a bit interesting. They bring in Norse mythology. There is a company called Aesir (which reminded me of Too Human) and all the druggies are wearing tattoos that apparently signify Valkyries and grant them protection from… something.
Throughout the film we see these dark shadows and black winged creatures, but it is never made apparent whether or not they are real or drug induced hallucinations.
Recommendation: Rent it if you are a fan of violence interspersed with North Mythology. Wouldn’t say it is worth a buy unless you really liked the game or Marky Mark.