Issue 02 - University of Surrey's Student Union

Film & Theatre
Max Payne - (15)
By James Stansfield
Based on the 2001 video game of the same name, this by-the-numbers
adaptation stars Mark Wahlberg as Payne, a New York police detective, on
the hunt for the person that killed his wife and child. As anyone who has
played the well-received videogame would know, the Russian drug Valkyr
is believed to be the root cause for the murders, for many of the addicts
are physically and mentally tortured by the subsequent hallucinations.
He is aided by Mila Kunis (of Family Guy fame), a supposed assassin
who is out to avenge her sister’s death in what appears to be a huge
conspiracy involving Payne’s wife.
The film is directed by John Moore, whose resume includes the mediocre
The Omen remake and Flight of the Phoenix which was largely average.
When Moore set out to make Max Payne it seems his plan was to
translate a videogame about corruption and drug-induced psychosis
into a mainstream film, all the time making it accessible for a teenage
audience. Presumably, this is why Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges is in the film,
for not only is his videogame counterpart white, not black, but he also
produces a wooden performance, rarely showing any real emotion or
ever providing the audience with a moment of real conviction. It seems
his ‘street appeal’ was more important than someone who could act.
As the film unfolds, it becomes clear that whilst the drug Valkyr is
indeed having a significant effect on those who become hooked on it, a
sinister conspiracy is to blame, emanating from the very pharmaceutical
company Max Payne’s wife used to work for. Whilst this should make for
a potentially exciting burst of intriguing and eventful scenes, Wahlberg’s
performance is never quite raw enough to evoke any sort of worthwhile
reaction from the audience.
Whilst his acting is never shambolic, he doesn’t commit himself enough
to the role he’s supposed to be bringing to life, and so the character
– as brilliant and suave as he is in the game – never truly emerges. In
reality, Moore just doesn’t seem to know how to properly convert the
style of the source material onto film, and despite the occasional nod to
the game’s niche film noir elements, the over-the-top-style of the game
which worked so well in a self-satirical fashion just doesn’t work in the
film.
The action does pick up in the second half of the film, as Payne unravels
the truths behind his family’s murder and he blasts his way through
countless armed goons on his way. Slow-motion close-up shots - one
of the film’s selling points - are employed during one or two shootouts
though this feels like a wasted inclusion and merely plays homage to the
slow-mo used in the Matrix, a film released nine years ago.
Whereas, as a fan of the videogames, I could enjoy the references to the
game’s plot points and certain key scenes, for anyone unfamiliar with the
game it would appear to be a mess of frankly ridiculous action scenes
merged with a confusing and unintelligible storyline. Some may see it as
a harmless gun-toting affair; others will be put off by the unusual nature
of the plot. At the end of the day, it’s a hit and miss film that could have
been handled so much better had the director actually known which
audience he wanted to cater for. Sadly, the result is average and likely to
be forgotten sooner rather than later.
Score: 6/10
Mighty Boosh
Brighton Centre 11 Nov 08
By Mark Allen
The Mighty Boosh are one of the best modern
comedy duos in Britain, and when they come
to put on a live show, tickets sell out instantly.
This was their second time round the UK, after
the massive success of the first live shows last
year. Having been a huge fan since the series
first appeared on TV and radio, this was something
I wasn’t going to miss.
I saw the previous live tour, and the atmosphere
at Boosh gigs is like nothing else I have
experienced. Mighty Boosh fans are notably
devoted, with people coming dressing up as
the characters from the shows. The age range
is huge, with families and teens all getting involved.
This was their second UK tour and runs
from September 2008 to January 2009, with
95 scheduled dates.
28
I wasn’t sure what to expect this time round,
especially with the fast turnaround from the
third series. The main show consisted of bringing
characters from the show out to perform
short portions, and performing songs from the
series. This pleased the crowd, as always, with
the usual heckling put downs from Fielding, and
geek-sheek from Barratt. One thing that was
very different this time round was the introduction
of a live band. Barratt, who composes all
the music for the TV series, played guitar with
them on most of the tracks.
There were also a number of new additions,
all equally ridiculous as ever. Fielding introduced
Sunflash, an angel who speaks with an
Chinese/Chav accent, which Vince believes is
how people will speak in the future. By the end
of the show, most of the audience in the floor
seating had got out of their seats and moved to
the front of the stage, and it looked like it had
turned into a full scale rock concert.
All in all, the introduction of the live band was
an awesome experience, and it was great to
see a variety of characters from across all the
series. It did however have the feeling that it
had been put together much faster than the
original live tour in 2008, but ticked the boxes
all round. If you can see them this year before
the tour is up, take the opportunity as it is one
of the most fun evenings you can have at the
theatre.
Rating – 4.5/5,