Mila Kunis Teams Up with Max Payne
Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Casting, Comic/Superhero/Geek
After months of nothing, Max Payne is moving forward again. Variety has just announced that Mila Kunis will join Mark Wahlberg in the action thriller. It is, of course, based on the popular video game series and will be directed by John Moore. Wahlberg is playing the tormented title character who is investigating a string of murders that may be related to the death of his family. Kunis will be playing an assassin who teams up with Payne to avenge the death of her sister. It will be the first really dark role for Kunis, who is largely known for her comedic roles. It will be the umpteenth for Wahlberg.
Has there been a video game adaptation that was any good? I can't think of one -- and I own both Tomb Raider movies, which are a guilty pleasure of mine. I'm surprised Hollywood keeps churning them out when they never seem to generate much profit or interest. Given that Max Payne was heavily influenced by John Woo and The Matrix, the fact that it is now coming to the big screen is kind of amusing to me.
_thumbnail.jpg)
Exclusive: 'Special' Poster Premiere!
Fan Made: Tasty Life-Size Yoda Cake
'The Dark Knight' DVD and More 'Batman 3' Rumors
Discuss: On Political Satire, Righties vs. Lefties, and Abused Film Critics
Jeff Bridges Talks About the Cutting Edge of 'Tron 2'
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg){kind=spacer}
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-10-2008 @ 5:18PM
Sam said...
First dark role for Kunis, what about American Psycho II: All American Girl?
Reply
3-11-2008 @ 2:21PM
Moo said...
She said dark role, not "laughable".
Silent Hill wasn't that bad. The ending sucked, but the build-up was ok. I could actually see Max Payne being a decent flick if the writing is decent (good chance it wont be). As noted, there is more emphasis on a storyline of sorts here, which is ironic given that the first game is so incredibly short. I could see a gritty comic book/pulp-style adaptation working here.
3-10-2008 @ 5:30PM
Tristan said...
the first Mortal Kombat was good, i think.
and it's not that all video games have bad stories... it's just that the ones that the companies tend to choose from do.
I mean: Doom.
seriously? it barely had a story to begin with.
The Metal Gear Solid film makes since... Mario Bros.? not so much.
Reply
3-10-2008 @ 5:31PM
AJ Muller said...
It's certainly a personal thing - your mileage may vary - but Silent Hill got some praise from people who weren't familiar with the games at all. I enjoyed it quite a bit, as I am a fan and have played the games. Incomprehensible at times, surely, but as pure cinema it was atmospheric and creepy as hell. Which was something the games certainly aimed for, so one could say that the adaptation was a success.
Reply
3-10-2008 @ 5:42PM
Peter Hall said...
Unlike most previous game adaptations, Max Payne boasts a heavy emphasis on narrative and structured plot. The actual game portion - killing people in slow motion - was a means to propel the plot; the plot wasn't a means to have slow motion killing. The distinction probably won't make sense to anyone who hasn't played it, or many games for that matter, but it was a great experience because of its use of story.
If they integrate all of the TV news reports and radio broadcasts that Payne encounters while playing the game, I'll be very happy. The real question though...will they find a way to have Payne tripping out and pondering what if he was in a movie; as he does in a particularly funny moment of self-meditation in the game.
Reply
3-14-2008 @ 12:11PM
roguescribner said...
The real question is: will the movie have bullet time???
Actually, I liked Max Payne, but I keep holding out hopes for a Deus Ex movie!
Reply