Parents' Guide to

Max Payne

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Video game adaptation is bloody but boring.

Movie PG-13 2008 99 minutes
Max Payne Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 6 parent reviews

KING I.
KING I. Parent of 18-year-old
December 31, 2017
age 10+
bruins123
bruins123 Adult
July 2, 2012
age 15+

beast payne

This movie is freakin beast. I totally loved it. Parents should have some wisdom and only let children that are mature view this film. it contains 2 f--ks and one motherf--ker

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the 2001 video game, MAX PAYNE follows the titular NYPD cop (Mark Wahlberg) as he hunts down the last of three men who killed his wife and baby son three years ago. Max's quest pulls him into the city's underworld, where a debauched, dangerous crowd is addicted to a new, high-powered street drug. Max soon learns that his wife's old employer, a major pharmaceutical company, may be behind the plague on the streets, as well as his wife's death. Max's search leads him to a glamorous assassin, Mona (Mila Kunis); his father's old NYPD partner, B.B. Hensley (Beau Bridges); and Internal Affairs cop Lt. Bravura (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) -- but who are Max's real allies, and who are his enemies?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (10):

A bloody yet pale imitation of stylish action films like Sin City and the brilliant action choreography of John Woo, Max Payne is an effects-loaded action film that's surprisingly ineffective. Part of the blame goes to Wahlberg, who seems to only deliver his lines in a low, hunched mumble or a full-throated bellow. Max is avenging his murdered wife and son, but Walhberg never generates any sympathy as Max -- it's one thing to be an anti-hero, but Max is anti-interesting.

The Max Payne video game came out in 2001 -- a lifetime ago in the accelerated timeframe of video games -- and you have to wonder why Fox is striking while the iron is, at best, lukewarm. The action is nothing viewers haven't seen before -- lifted from real action classics like Hard Boiled, Die Hard, and The Killer -- and the bizarre, monster-filled hallucinations endured by the characters who take the experimental drug just make the film feel even more ridiculously over the top. The post-credits scene includes a clear set-up for Max Payne II; the movie before the credits makes that feel more like a threat than a promise.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Hollywood turns video games into movies, and whether the (theoretically) interactive experience of playing a game is different from the more passive experience of watching a movie. Does violence impact you in different ways when you're participating in it vs. just watching it? How so? Families can also discuss revenge and vengeance -- movies glamorize them, but are they, in fact, ethical things to pursue when wronged? How else can people seek out justice?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate