A profound feeling of laziness hovers over the entire picture, suggesting that it was as joyless to make as it is to watch.
Comment
10/17/08
Max Payne (2008)
18
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:124
Fresh:22
Rotten:102
Average Rating:3.8/10
Consensus: While it boasts some stylish action, Max Payne suffers severely from an illogical plot and overdirection.
Theatrical Release:14-11-2008
Synopsis: Rockstar Games' antihero Max Payne gets his own movie with this video game adaptation. Mark Wahlberg (THE DEPARTED) plays the titular cop who is still trying to get over the death of his family... [More]
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges
Director: John Moore
Reviews for Max Payne
Honestly, you find yourself rooting against Payne's survival, even with a good actor in the hollow role. There's nothing inside the film's sour, slovenly spirit of vengeance.
10/17/08
A straight-up action picture, and a rather bombastic, familiar one at that.
10/17/08
Andy Samberg's imitation of Marky Mark as Barky Bark is vastly more amusing than Wahlberg's latest action vehicle.
10/17/08
A big reason why videogame-to-movie adaptations are currently batting .000 is that filmmakers work so hard at recreating a game's look that they ignore the obvious problem of assembling a bunch of lame cutscenes into a story.
10/17/08
The movie is styled to death %u2014 it's hyper film noir without the philosophical resonance %u2014 and it's certainly something to see.
10/17/08
Eventually, Max pieces together a conspiracy, but Max Payne spells it all out so obviously that the densest audience members will put the pieces together at least half an hour before the hero finally does.
10/17/08
Simply terrible. An insult to gamers and action fans. Frankly, it doesn't even deserve notoriety as one of the year's worst; it deserves to be forgotten.
10/17/08
The film should have been about Payne getting addicted to drugs, having a good heart, but doing really bad things to search for the man who murdered his family--not this mess.
10/17/08
Wahlberg packs the talent to add depth to most roles. In this one, though, he does little more than mope around and blast away (video-game style) in this barrage of rapid fire.
10/17/08
It boasts a stylish surface, but there's nothing new beneath it.
10/17/08
Like other video game adaptations there's barely a third dimension to any of the characters, but there's spades of neo-noir mood.
10/17/08
There simply has yet to be a decent film adapted from a video game. Why studios persist is a testament to the lobotomised throngs who encourage them by paying to see this type of gleet.
10/17/08
This intense action thriller will be recalled for its exciting visuals and relentless action rather than its acting.
10/17/08
Though the film's action scenes won't win awards for originality, they can't be faulted for either their scale or love of slo-mo.
10/17/08
The producers of movies based on video games must think their audience is nothing but easy-to-entertain morons. It's the only explanation for a movie this dark, dull, and dumb.
10/17/08
Visually compelling and with a cast willing to make the effort so that we'll take it seriously, this is a solid action film.
10/17/08
An embarrassment to a genre that's already delivered some of the worst movies of the last ten years.
10/17/08
Given the effect Max Payne has, by the close you may feel that they've misspelled the hero's last name.
10/17/08
MAX PAYNE had the potential to be a step or two above the typical revenge action film. Unfortunately, it never takes those steps.
10/17/08
Latest News for Max Payne
January 21, 2009:
Razzies Name 2008's Worst Movie Nominees
No awards season would be complete without the Golden Raspberry Awards (AKA The Razzies), awarded each year to the very worst movies to hit Hollywood. This year's winners will... More...
January 19, 2009:
RT on DVD: Max Payne, Saw V, King Kong on Blu-ray
Mark Wahlberg brings maximum pain to DVD this week in the critically-punished Max Payne, although new horror titles Saw V and Repo! The Genetic Opera didn't fare much better on... More...
November 14, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Is Zack And Miri Make A Porno On The Money (Shot)? Is Max Payne Maxing Or Taxing?
This week in the UK cinema screens we have Kevin Smith's latest, the intuitively titled Zack And Miri Make A Porno. Marky Mark Wahlberg stars in the video game adaptation Max... More...
October 19, 2008:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Max feels no Payne at No. 1
With the elections just a few weeks away, W. seemed ready to rule the box office this weekend, but it was Fox's weekend to break out of its slump, with two of its openers... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds