calls the story "flat," while the cries the plot "has more holes than a shot-up metal door."

These low, low scores for the film starkly contrast with those for the games. We gave an impressive five star-rating to the original , with a respectable four-star rating going to the --so what gives?

Truth be told, shallow storytelling has long been a hallmark of video gaming. That Max Payne the movie would draw so heavily from its source would be a great thing, if it weren't for the hollow nature of the plot at play. Only recently have games begun breaking from this underwhelming tradition with titles like and .

The real question is whether to expect more narrative duds or the rise of compelling stories. What do you think?