One thing that makes “The Batman” stand out from other takes on the caped crusader is that Batman doesn’t quite feel like a pro yet. He bungles an escape flight, he takes multiple gunshots from the criminals that he’s after, and he doesn’t use theatrical flourishes to lean into his standing as a creepy mythological figure in the way that older iterations learn to do.
This is what action should look like in a “Max Payne” movie. Put the bullet-time aside — yes, it was a major selling point of the games, but on film, “The Matrix” was now over two decades ago — and instead, lean into the sort of tense, scrappy fights “The Batman” offered, where you’re never quite sure if the protagonist will make it. Max should get hurt, almost every time. He should grunt, fight messily, and constantly seem over his head, while still pulling it off. And like in “The Batman,” the world he’s in needs to feel dark and awful enough to justify his techniques.
Like Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone) at the end of “Cop Land” or John McLane (Bruce Willis) in “Die Hard,” Max will come out on top at the end of the film, but it will never feel like it was a sure thing. There have to be close calls and moments where he doubts and questions himself. This will keep him relatable to the audience while still allowing for the character to pop and have some highly-stylized shootouts along the way.
This is where a new “Max Payne” movie can easily top the failed 2008 attempt, which combined unexciting action scenes with a boring visual language — flopping at the two things the games were so praised for.