Director John Moore’s wish of a PG-13 Max Payne has been granted. We get the following news from the man himself thanks to the following interview with Game Daily via ropeofsilicon:
In a new interview with GameDaily he gives the following message regarding the film finally getting the required PG-13 rating:
I must say, and that’s what’s a little bewildering about this, I didn’t have to change much. We trimmed some frames more for the sake of trimming frames than anything, but we got the rating without any major changes at all. I’m a little surprised that we changed their minds, effectively, but I’m happy about it. It proves that if you stick to your guns and you have the creative, and dare I say moral sense, that you’re in the right, that you can get the right thing done.
I’m not sure if this is good news or bad news for this film. When a story revolves around gun violence – I personally would like to see an R rating. If you have a film that seeks to revel in violence, it seems peculiar to me not to let it gush forth, under the umbrella of an R rating.
According to the source article John Moore recently slammed the MPAA; he assumed they would give him a hard time with his project (he wanted a PG rating). His previous fears appear to have been all for naught. It would seem that he made the PG-13 cut without much trouble at all.
I can see why they would want the PG-13 rating for a video game film. It will allow the game’s demographic to buy tickets, I just worry that reining in the violence will be detrimental to Max Payne the movie. From what I have seen in the trailers my hopes certainly aren’t high; and a PG 13 rating isn’t helping the situation.
IM 11 AND I WANT TO SEE IT
music from the film by uk band “Metsuo”can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/metsuo
I have been a fan since Max Payne first came out, and what was most special about the game was the action and shoot em up violence. It was the first game to incorporate that whole “Matrix style action” in a video game. The game was bloody and had tons of violence as well as strong language. Now they turn this into PG13. Just another way for Hollywood to make another stupid decision. As for John Moore, obviously he never played the game cause if he did, R rated is what he would go for. I’ve been let down tremendously on this one. I’ll wait for DVD
I believe it will have a similar affect on the general audience as Hitman did. No matter what the rating, I will go see it because of Walhberg (Great actor), plus u needed someone with acting abilities to play this dark character, and besides it is my all time favorite video game series. I just say that it is about time that this came out, although I feel it is 10 years too late. What is next Halo?
Aren’t we allowed to show pumping 20 rounds into somebody in a PG-13 film already? Just not the blood bursting from it.
You cannot tell Max Payne’s story properly without an R rating. Max Payne was 100% atmosphere and visceral impact. Shooting this movie for PG-13 shows a lack of understanding and knowledge of the source. Sure, you could shoot Oldboy aiming for a PG-13 but you’d be doing a huge disservice to the universe.
Two things in Max Payne got my physiology flailing like few other games. One was pumping 20 rounds into the chest of somebody as the camera panned around you in slow motion. The other was the visual impact of seeing a bloodied baby crib repeatedly in the house flashbacks. Neither of which would make the cut in a PG-13 movie. Both of which are concepts mandatory to the telling of Max Payne on film.
It’ll make a decent rental I’m sure.
All hail Thoden,,, eh eum I mean, the MPAA,,,,
The point is the Dark Knight was plenty atmospheric, dark, and compelling even though it was PG-13. Judging by the trailers, Max Payne has plenty of gun-fu already, and violence (remember the part where the SWAT team bursts in and get mowed down one by one?). I say give the director the benefit the doubt at least until the film comes out. The way he sounded about keeping the film PG-13 didn’t seem like it was a shameless grab for money to me.
“Mark has been quoted as saying he wanted to work harder rather than just use bad language to express emotion,” [John Moore] said. “I took a similar tact. I put a lot of kinetic violence in the movie because that’s how the game feels, but I didn’t go cutting people’s heads off and ripping their eyeballs out just for the fun of it.”
There are plenty of terrible R-rated action movies (Hitman was an R, and it wasn’t particularly great), and Max Payne (the game), if you think about it, was not as hard an ‘M’ as some other games are. There is no explicit violence (disembowlings, decapitations, etc) in either game, just some blood and profanity. I’m surprised to see that those aren’t making it into the movie, but I think the movie could work anyway, if it’s, say, on the level with Beowulf (the poem is not exactly PG-13 material, either, nor is the fim’s depiction of Grendle’s mother) or Casino Royale (which surprised people with how dark it was).
This director is an asshole. He truly doesn’t understand the game culture and how kids 17 and younger don’t know who Max Payne is. Also how are they going to shoot the dream/nightmare sequences with a PG-13 rating.
Personally the next director that says they want to put a M-rated game to the big screen but wants it for 13 year olds needs to be fired on the spot.
Seems a bit odd to suggest that a movie get a PG-13 rating to attract the built-in video game demographic when the average gamer age skews to 29 or 30.
And Carrotan makes a good point as well. Max Payne, a mature-rated game, has been out some time. It’s likely that any audience that was under-age then would be of-age now.
As for the crows, I thought I recalled something about them in the game, but it’s been some time, so I could be mistaken. I do remember Max’s sanity being portrayed as fairly fragile, though, so I’m guessing the crow theme plays on that.
The thing is – here, the game was ‘M’ in the first place. And this is an OLD game. So the audience, which might have been adolescent at the time of the game, is well past that age now. PG-13 is a shameless grab for money from the unknowing masses that flock to theatres without any beforehand knowledge. Whereas, what should have been the core audience of this film – gamers and mostly now grown adults – has been replaced by the brainless teenage masses. Hollywood hath no shame and it never has.
The one thing I can understand here is the director filmed that with in mind from the start – so he was pissed when he got an ‘R,’ saying that he avoided gratuity and some more hardcore moments. And this is where I differ fundamentally with the director – he should have gone for the ‘R’ in the first place, considering the subject material the film was based off, as opposed to what he thought would bring him a sloppy mess of cash. Too many hacks out there behind a camera just trying to lap at the arse of the corrupt and greedy studio execs.
This is so ridiculous. The game was a rated M for mature game. This film should be rated R. Plus the game never had those angel things like the trailer shows. Once again another video game movie ruined. I had high hopes for this at one time, now I’m not so sure.
I wish people would stop trying to compare The Dark Knight to every upcoming PG-13 action film coming out. It is silly. The violence in TDK was tame. Most of it was off-screen! Would you have a gun violence film…without the gun violence? Just shooting sounds as you look at the night’s sky?
I’d *much* rather see this movie made as an “R” rated title then cut than it be designed as a “PG-13” movie. At least this way we may get an unrated DVD release that’s decent.
thanks for posting a 1-2 week old news… the users sure have to think you guys actually do something, hu?
and btw. who gives a shit. i don’t need any useless gore and violence to enjoy a movie.
max payne 2 is my favourite action game of all time, and i dont give a shit if the movie is pg13 or r. but whatever.
Oh what the fuck are you people whining about? By now it should be no news that the movie’s getting a PG-13. Every ‘violent but not too violent’ gets a PG-13. It’s not the blood ‘n gore that make a good movie. It’s the story. The atmosphere.
They’ve been saying all along that they were going for a PG-13. Not R. While many of you don’t like that, don’t you think it’s a good thing they didn’t have to rape the film any more for the sake of rating?
What I’d be whining about is the choise to have Mark Walhberg as Max Payne. I just saw the trailer which copies straight from the comic book boards of the first game and that man’s voice is nowhere near the Max’s from the game…
The fact that the director was shooting for a PG-13 rating really pisses me off. If you’re going to shoot Max Payne you shoot that son of a bitch for a hard R and cut it to PG-13 so you at least have a more faithful DVD release.
R rating might have pushed me into the theater. PG-13 rating guarantees I’ll be renting it for free as a Blockbuster employee. Everybody I know that played Max Payne loves the trailer. Everybody I know that played Max Paine will likely not see this movie due to the fact that it isn’t R.
I also agree that Kunis would not have been my first choice. I never liked her as an actress. Forgetting Sarah Marshell absolutely changed my mind int his regard though. She is in fact capable of acting and I’ll be looking forward to checking out her performance when Payne comes to DVD.
Filmmakers need to stop raping great source material.
PG-13 OR R RATED this movie is going to suck.
I am sorry to judge soo fast but I just dont see like the makers of this movie casting Mila Kunis in a role like that. Obviously she is terrific to look at but I think she fits better in movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall. But thats just my opinion.
I guess Raphael hasn’t watched Dark Knight before.
PG-13 is Shit
Thy should re-cut the movie as R and limited re-release in December or va download within 60 days of release. Pleases everybody, nuff said.
It’s going to obviously be a “hard’ PG-13, guys. Dark Knight wasn’t R and it was plenty visceral, violent, and mature.
This game’s demographic isn’t the PG-13 crowd. 13-16 year olds would see this movie whether it was PG-13 or R. Most of the people who play games anyway aren’t kids. A PG-13 rating accomplishes nothing for a movie that already looks like it’s taking a massive fucking shit on the material, and now we find out that it isn’t going to be visceral like the game is.
Fuck my up the ass, please, this looks like shit.
This is a huge disappointment. Its a disgrace they cut this film down to make it PG-13, its a total retard move. I was pretty psyched when I found out it was Rated-R, I could really care less now.
I will probably wait for rental now, unless I hear a stellar review then I wont waste my time.
I agree that R rated films cut down to PG-13 is a disgrace.
I’ve NEVER had a problem with a movie being PG-13. What I have problems with is R Rated movies being cut down to be PG-13. As long as that’s not the case, then I have no problems with movies being PG-13.
The director got his which, complaining to the mpaa why the dark knight got pg-13, a MAX PAYNE CANT BE PG13!!!!
Going to wait for reviews but maybe this movie is a rental or maybe not.
Kind of telling about the rating system that a film about a guy going on a guns-blazing rampage even *can* be PG-13. What is that? He fires the guns but you don’t see any blood or gore so it’s a wholesome tale about how harmless guns are? He kills countless people but never utters a swear word, so there’s no way a child could possibly be corrupted? Just highlights how retarded and internally inconsistent the ratings system is.
yea ur right the first mortal kombat wa great imo…..nice reference tiger
true, true….if this one turns out decent, hopefully we can get some badass sequels…..the saiyan and freeza sagas would be something to see live action…
The isn’t the first time that a M rated video game gets a PG-13 live action film.
Mortal Kombat, was an M rated video game was made into a PG-13 film, What sold it was the kick ass fight sequences.
Yeah seen those pictures but think of the positives… as long these guys could play their roles and with a budget of $100 million imagine how the martial arts and SFX will turn out remember we still haven’t seen Kamehameha, Oozaro, and Shenron .
the way goku and bulma look….you’ve seen those pics right….or the pic of piccolo fully clothed on set…some site had pics leaked from the new trailer and it looks horrible….they turned a whimsical story of a lil alien boy and turned into some hs angst bs, with guyver rejects…..
i tend to get pretty pissed when i see something i grew up with bastardized is all….i might hate it but people might like it (transformers), or i might love it but people hate it (speed racer)…..but this one looks like bad news all over agin
Production photos and character design… Lol : ) i’m pretty sure we having seen anything yet.
Oh dear lord…. *facepalms*
Being a fan of the series, it’s kinda stupid on the director’s part to have a movie that SHOULD BE rated R to try to water it down with PG-13…
broly thats what i want them to do…..but from what ive seen from production photos and character design, they’re aiming for anything but the fans….guess its gonna be bitchfuckinshitcuntassholecockpussyfartpotato…..dont bring ur kids to max payne
This is the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard. I was almost looking forward to this because I thought the game could have made for a good hardcore badass action movie, but it’s clear they’re selling out, which is stupid in the first place. This just makes the movie look like a cheap cash-in to the public. PG-13 is more marketable if you’re trying to make a billion dollar blockbuster, but I genuinely think that action movies like this (300, Wanted, The Matrix) have a better chace at box office success at an R.
Hey Chris, just keep your expectations low… so far from what i seen in the trailer pictures it looks like FOX is aiming mostly to the fans.
meh….doesnt make logical sense that an M rated (17 or older) goes for a pg-13 as a movie….but i guess if it can make more money go for it…..i hope the movie at least captures the dark, violent tone the game had (which also was very bloody)……its kinda like makin the doom movie pg13….
good point tho mr. chris, if i never played the game and didnt know about the drug V and the hallucinations i would assume hes fighting demons…..
and i swear if the dragon ball trailer is as bad as i think its gonna be im gonna throw my popcorn at the screen and say every curse word in the book…..and that includes cunt….yep the c word
sounds like he was always going for the PG-13 range, which is actually better than say an R-Rated film forced to be editted down to a PG-13 becuase unilke the film going straight for pg-13, you can tell that they re-editted it for the rating. So this may not hurt the Max Payne film too much. But like Mr. Chris said, the big mover is going to be the word of mouth.
PG-13 is probably one of the most marketable ratings, since it’s the closest you can get to R-rated action while being able to bring the kids along.
The only problem I see with Max Payne so far is the word-of-mouth it’ll receive when it doesn’t deliver on being the supernatural thriller it promises in the trailer.
I’m just going to see the movie for the Dragonball trailer.