DISNEY - VIDEOGAME MAKER SHOOTS DOWN MAX PAYNE

VIDEOGAME MAKER SHOOTS DOWN MAX PAYNE

The head of the company that produces the Max Payne video games has joined the criticism of the movie based on the game. 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller told the video-game magazine Edge , "There are several fundamental story flaws ... in the film that have me shaking my head in bewilderment." Among them, he said, is the fact that Payne is seen in a flashback scene half way through the movie learning that his family has been murdered. Said Miller, "In the game, we put this scene right at the front of the story for a reason! Saving this scene until mid-film is a narrative blunder, because the audience needs to empathize with Max in order to like him and understand what drives him." In any case, the video-game-turned-movie led the box office over the weekend, earning $17.6 million. Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua slipped to second place with $11.4 million. Fox Searchlight's The Secret Live of Bees and Lionsgate's W. battled it out for third place with Bees flitting ahead with $10.53 million and W. settling for fourth with $10.51 million. Rouinding out the top five was Paramount/DreamWorks's Eagle Eye with $7.0 million.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date) 1. Max Payne , 20th Century Fox, $17,639,849, (New); 2. Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Disney, $11,422,425, 3 Wks. ($69,282,560); 3. The Secret Life of Bees, Fox Searchlight, $10,527,799, (New); 4. W. , Lionsgate, $10,505,668, (New); 5. Eagle Eye, DreamWorks/Paramount, $7,029,718, 4 Wks. ($81,021,825); 6. Body of Lies, Warner Bros., $6,824,259, 2 Wks. ($24,424,928); 7. Quarantine, Sony, $6,084,580, 2 Wks. ($24,471,512); 8. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist , Sony, $3,693,384, 3 Wks. ($26,500,875); 9. Sex Drive , Summit Entertainment, $3,607,164, (New); 10. Nights in Rodanthe, Warner Bros., $2,657,440, 4 Wks. ($36,869,470).

21/10/2008