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Post by Doomy on Jun 16, 2009 15:28:42 GMT -5
Time for a bit of necromancy... Went to see Max Payne yesterday. Very disapointing. I know that when making a movie based on a book (or, in this case, on a video game), there are a few things that are changed, ignored, added, etc. Well, in this case, what they kept from the game were not the best things, and what they changed didn't help to make the movie better. They added new characters, removed all the mafia connection, and the movie ends with no real conclusion and two big holes in the plot. I'm very disapointed. At least, I got my first glimpse of Olga Kuryulenko, the new Bond girl in Quantum of Solace, due next month. I just watched this on pay-per-view, and have to agree with BC. The Max Payne movie is shit, for all the reasons described above. The first half hour or so is very slow, and when the action finally does get going there's just not enough of it and it's nothing you've not seen before. A good adaptation of Max Payne would take the conventions of film noir and ramp them up to the point of self-parody, then ladle on heaps of gun-crazed violence. This doesn't. Slow, leaden, humourless and very, very dull. It speaks volumes that the games are rated at a higher age certificate than the film.
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Post by Beowuuf on Jun 18, 2009 20:56:51 GMT -5
Well, just come back from the midnight showing of Transformers. Pretty much the same as the first one. The robots get more face time and a little buit more personality,. otherwise it's the same mix of silliness, shallow characteristation (for the most part, the robots get a little more speaking and attitude in some cases), the plot is just as silly (and part of it waits until about half way through to even be mentioned) and of course lots of explosions and hskaing camerawork with robots you can't make out
If you thouht the first one was ok, I don't think this second one will disappoint you, if you didn't liek the first one, don't expect to be wowed by anything new
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Post by Simey on Jun 18, 2009 21:53:12 GMT -5
I think I thought the first one was the worst thing I'd ever seen at the cinema. I shall avoid giving it any competition.
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Post by zipp on Jun 23, 2009 9:19:59 GMT -5
Time for a bit of necromancy... Went to see Max Payne yesterday. Very disapointing. I know that when making a movie based on a book (or, in this case, on a video game), there are a few things that are changed, ignored, added, etc. Well, in this case, what they kept from the game were not the best things, and what they changed didn't help to make the movie better. They added new characters, removed all the mafia connection, and the movie ends with no real conclusion and two big holes in the plot. I'm very disapointed. At least, I got my first glimpse of Olga Kuryulenko, the new Bond girl in Quantum of Solace, due next month. I just watched this on pay-per-view, and have to agree with BC. The Max Payne movie is shit, for all the reasons described above. The first half hour or so is very slow, and when the action finally does get going there's just not enough of it and it's nothing you've not seen before. A good adaptation of Max Payne would take the conventions of film noir and ramp them up to the point of self-parody, then ladle on heaps of gun-crazed violence. This doesn't. Slow, leaden, humourless and very, very dull. It speaks volumes that the games are rated at a higher age certificate than the film. After years of wondering why most video game movies are so bad, I realized that it's because the film makers aim them at a 10-13 year old audience, incorrectly assuming that that's the target audience. 10-13 year olds haven't even played Max Payne... for God's sake, the game is already almost 10 years old! The target audience is in their early 20's, and wants something more cerebral and stylistic mixed with seriously hardcore grit. Ah well... the third game's coming out, you know?
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Post by eviltb on Jun 23, 2009 9:45:57 GMT -5
The target audience is in their early 20's, and wants something more cerebral and stylistic mixed with seriously hardcore grit. Ah well... the third game's coming out, you know? ...on the Wii, where blood is replaced by ink and Payne is addicted to tic-tacs and drink shots of orange juice. Oh and you have to collect stars along the way. Why? To fight the big red dragon at the end of course! ;D
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Post by Doomy on Jun 23, 2009 9:45:58 GMT -5
Good point, Zipp.
Bonus trivia: The original Max Payne game was certified 15 by the BBFC and came out in 2001.
So, assuming everybody who played was old enough to do so legally (I'll skip the usual rant about dimwitted parents buying inappropriate software for their kids), you had to be AT LEAST 22 to really identify with the name when this mess hit the cinemas.
Of course, the majority would be a fair bit older. When the game came out I'd guess that most people who bought it were in the 20+ bracket, as PS2 and Xbox consoles still cost a fair whack in those days, let alone gaming PCs. Your humble correspondent (who bought and played the crap out of both MP titles) was 24 in 2001.
In its defence: The Max Payne film was better than the House of the Dead flick though. Seriously, WTF went on there?
The only videogame-to-movie adaptation I think actually worked was Mortal Kombat. Sure, the film was cheesy beyond belief, but it was the sort of cheese players of the game expected - nay, demanded. The sequel was ABSOLUTE CRAP though, it looked like a Power Rangers episode.
And yeah, Max's third coming might not be awful. But I'm not convinced yet.
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Post by jan on Jun 23, 2009 10:10:04 GMT -5
Why? To fight the big red dragon at the end of course! I've heard that bedtime story before. ;D
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Post by Black Cat on Jun 23, 2009 12:15:08 GMT -5
Nah, the best video game to movie conversion will always be Super Mario Bros. Ok, ok, maybe not...
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Post by jan on Jun 23, 2009 12:29:27 GMT -5
Nah, the best video game to movie conversion will always be Super Mario Bros. Ok, ok, maybe not... No, it's only the second best, The first best is obviously Pacman. And the third best is Turrican 2.
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Post by Samildanach on Jun 24, 2009 6:39:20 GMT -5
The only videogame-to-movie adaptation I think actually worked was Mortal Kombat. Hahaha, that was a pretty ropey film. I've been told the prequel series, Mortal Kombat Conquest, is pretty decent, but I've never seen it. For me, the best game-film conversion by a long, long way has to be Silent Hill.
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Post by dugain on Jun 24, 2009 12:54:33 GMT -5
I saw every episode of Mortal Kombat: Conquest when I was in high school, but I can't remember a thing about it. Except that Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3, Bloodrayne?) was in it, and played Taja the thief. And there were no fatalities. Oh, and Taja always wore a bikini type top, with a shawl. Or am I remembering something else?
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Post by Beowuuf on Jun 24, 2009 15:04:11 GMT -5
wow, MK conquest! Yeah, i watched that during late night showings on Channel 4. Kristanna Loke was really cute in that with short hair, and I did keep watcing it, but I do remember it being a little formulaic with looooong fights.
Stll, it was fun enough to watch instead of anything else. It ended after one series without being renewed so didn't finish properly, the mythology would have had goro eventually winning the next tournament that the series would have had to have end with.
Did I mention Kristianna Loken was cute in it?
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Post by Samildanach on Jun 24, 2009 16:12:54 GMT -5
Speaking of Kristanna Loken and, by extension, Terminatory things, I've just finished my two-day watch of season 1 of Sarah Connor Chronicles. Started off a bit forgettable, but got a lot better - and rekindled my recently dormant infatuation with Summer Glau. I love Summer.
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Post by Beowuuf on Jun 24, 2009 17:04:30 GMT -5
Apparently season two only got better - at least by the end. Still need to watch it!
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Post by Al on Jun 26, 2009 12:59:52 GMT -5
If you thouht the first one was ok, I don't think this second one will disappoint you, if you didn't liek the first one, don't expect to be wowed by anything new I thought both were AWESOME! All I want to see in a Transformers film is giant robots beating the crap out of each. Both threw in special forces guys, hard core military hardware and excellent pairs of breasts. What more does the inner teenager in me want in a movie?
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