What I loved about the video game Max Payne, aside from its playability, was the noir element. They played it very straight, enough so to be clear that it was done from love of the genre, but they played it so far over the top that it was parodic and hilarious at the same time.[1] When you get down to it, that’s what makes a good game: something that’s as fun to watch as it is to play.

It’s for that reason that I was excited to see the movie Max Payne. The previews covered all the old territory, enough to make me want to play the game again too.[2] And in the end, I think it was the high expectations that were the failure. The noir was in there, but not nearly enough to suit me. The videogamey elements were mostly good rather than laughable, though there were bits near the end that, um, not so much. And the plot was perfectly serviceable, but rarely moreso.

In short, Detective Max Payne has obsessed over the murder of his wife (and child?) for the past two years, despite any real leads. He’s drifted away from his partner and his wife’s friends, despite their best efforts. But with help from vengeful assassin and (of course) femme fatale Mona Sax, the case is about to break wide open. It won’t cost Max anything much, either. Just his career, the lives of most anyone close to him, and quite possibly his soul.

Honestly, it really was good, if you disregard the inevitable video game moment. But it wasn’t cheesy enough to be awesome in that sense, and it wasn’t quite what I was looking for as a serious flick. Alas.

[1] Kind of like Brust’s treatment of the Three Musketeers series.
[2] I mean, I won’t on a PS2 from seven years ago when I have this many new games floating around, but another sequel would be fantastic. Maybe even an updated remake?