10 Terrible Video Game Movies That Ruined Iconic Characters

10. Max Payne - Max Payne

Max Payne is a third-person shooter which centres around a NYPD cop who's trying to track down his family's killers. The original two games were highly praised for their bloody, bullet-time action sequences and noir-styled form of storytelling. The titular character also became an instant icon due to his dark wit and effortless magnetism, thanks in no small part to gruff voice actor James McCaffrey.

Mark Wahlberg's casting as the lead in the film adaptation was something of a mixed bag with fans. He looked the part, and because Wahlberg is an action star that can imbue humour with menace (see his role in The Departed), to many he sounded like the perfect choice for the role. Fans assumed the movie would suck but were at least reassured the Hollywood star would have a lot of fun as the badass detective.

Despite the fact the noir style and cheeky wit helped defined the game, the adaptation removed these elements, turning the movie into a dreary mess without even the violent action of the games.

Even though Wahlberg is charismatic, the dull script doesn't give him a chance to do anything with the character. Because the filmmakers only paid lip service to the the game's look, style, tone, and removed so much of the protagonist's personality, one questions why they were so eager to adapt the film in the first place.