If 'Max Payne' Flops Does That Mean M. Night Was Right?

A curious bit of advice from Shyamalan

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Friday, August 29th 2008 at 1:17 AM

MTV has a curious quote from Mark Wahlberg recounting a bit of advice give to him from The Happening director M. Night Shyamalan.

"[Night] gave me the worst advice he could have ever given me. He said, 'After [The Happening], you can never hold a gun again. You know that, right?' I said, 'Are you crazy?' He said, 'I'm serious, don't ever hold a gun again.' And I said, 'I don’t know about that, man.'"

Ironically enough that advice is quickly out the window as Wahlberg's gun laden follow-up to The Happening, Max Payne, hits theaters on October 17. However, the reason I use the headline above is due to the fact it looks like Payne could go either way with very little middle ground. I currently sit on the fence with the film after the trailers and footage I have seen, but I am intrigued for sure. It could be great or it could be awful. I don't see a lot of room for it to be just okay, but I also wouldn't expect it to flop based on the fact that the trailers make it look worth checking out if guns, violence and explosions are your thing. Check, check and check in my case.

Wahlberg has talked up the new film at every turn, recently comparing it to The Dark Knight and saying, "I guarantee you there's not a badder dude in a movie this year than Max Payne. This is like my character from The Departed, Fear, Four Brothers, all mixed into one, times ten."

Of course, regardless of the result of Max Payne, the comment by Night is weird as hell. I have seen The Happening and I have no idea why Wahlberg couldn't hold a gun after it. I could see why he should never talk to a plastic plant again or perhaps run away from the wind, but a gun? Nah, I'm not buying it.