Angst-ridden anti-heroes make for compelling protagonists when in the right hands. With Remedy's Max Payne, we were treated to a refreshing noir featuring a burned out and betrayed hero who was up against the world. Coupled with bullet time shooting, the Max Payne video games were highlights of the early 2000s. The same could not be said for the movie adaptation that came out in 2008. An awkward action flick with some decent special effects, 'Max Payne' was guilty of trying just a little bit too hard to be cool and edgy. It just didn't work. Now, five years later, we're taking a look at the cast to see if they could escape the cold, dark hell of Max Payne's mistakes.

Mark Wahlberg, Max Payne

Mark Wahlberg
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Then: Since Mark already has some of the squintiest eyes we've ever seen, it was almost a no-brainer for him to be cast as the soured Max Payne in the feature film. Unfortunately, Max Payne was a deeply complex character Wahlberg gave all the depth of a glass of water.

Now: Wahlberg is still a fairly large box office draw, with films like 'Ted' and the upcoming 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' keeping him in busy enough so as not to ruin any other legitimate movies.

Mila Kunis, Mona Sax

Mila Kunis
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Then: Mila played the hot-tempered Mona Sax, a Russian assassin out to extract revenge on the people who killed her sister. While a competent actor, Kunis just didn't have the physical presence the role demanded, and looked way out of place running and gunning in 'Max Payne.'

Now: As the voice of Meg on 'Family Guy,' Kunis has been keeping steadily busy these past few years. Hopefully the rest of her film career plays out with more hits like 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' and 'Black Swan' than 'Ted' and 'The Book of Eli.'

Beau Bridges, BB Hensley

Beau Bridges
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Then: Beau played Max Payne's father's former partner (uh, what?), BB Hensley, who helped Max out until he got too close to the truth. The truth being how terrible this movie was, and not that BB was secretly helping push the illegal drug Valkyr on the public.

Now: When Beau isn't busy appearing in our lists of Then and Nows, he's still got a steady career in the acting business. You can find him appearing currently in television series like 'Masters of Sex' and 'The Millers.'

Amaury Nolasco, Jack Lupino

Amaury Nolasco
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Then: Jack Lupino is the bad guy because he's got tattoos and a sword, and he treats women poorly and abuses drugs like Valkyr. While he likely didn't have much to work with from the script, Amaury played Lupino about as one note as they come. Which is one more note than Wahlberg gave Max Payne.

Now: You most likely remember Amaury from his role as Ferdinando Sucre on Fox's 'Prison Break.' Since that show ended, he's picked up a few roles here and there, but still finds himself confined to supporting appearances. Maybe it's for the best.

Chris O'Donnell, Jason Colvin

Chris Odonnell
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Then: Somehow Chris O'Donnell overcame the disaster that was 'Batman and Robin' only to find himself in this tepid turd playing crooked pharmaceutical man, Jason Colvin.

Now: In what can only be described as the strangest phenomena in the world, besides the popularity of 'The Big Bang Theory,' O'Donnell is the leading man in one of the most-watched television dramas, 'NCIS; Los Angeles.' That this show is still on the air and people still watch it is a testament to how far we've fallen as a nation.

Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Jim Bravura

Ludacris
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Then: Luda took some time away from rapping about clubs in Atlanta to play Internal Affairs officer Jim Bravura. Sadly, he didn't quite carry the same presence as other rappers turned (fictional) cops like Ice-T and Ice Cube.

Now: Ludacris frequently appears in the 'Fast and Furious' film franchise, and has picked up bit parts in several other features. Sadly, it looks like the days when he'd wear a midget around his neck while rapping about traffic jams are long gone.

Donal Logue, Alex Balder

Donal Logue
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Then: Logue had the luck to be one of the good guys killed off early in the film. As Max's partner, obviously only bad things could have happened to him. At least he didn't have to stick around to partake in the rest of the movie.

Now: Logue has appeared on 'Sons of Anarchy,' but there's no telling when he might get killed off since everyone on that show hates one another. We can only hope he finds some time to return to comedies in the future.

Olga Kurylenko, Natasha Sax

Olga Kurylenko
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Then: As Natasha, Kurylenko was given the challenging task of looking pretty and trying to seduce Max Payne before being killed by Lupino.

Now: She's been a Bond girl in 'Quantum of Solace,' co-starred with Tom Cruise in 'Oblivion,' and will appear in the upcoming film adaptation of 'Vampire Academy.' After appearing in 'Hitman' and 'Max Payne' in back-to-back years, it's no wonder she's shied away from any more video game adaptations.

Nelly Furtado, Christa Balder

Nelly Furtado
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Then: Nelly Furtado played a woman with Benjamin Button disease Alex Balder's wife, and was about as impressive as a pop star with acting aspirations could be. Which is to say, not very impressive at all.

Now: Furtado's The Spirit Indestructible album released last year to critical acclaim, but since 'Max Payne,' she's only appeared as herself in television shows where it was necessary to have a music performance. The world thanks you for making the brave choice to focus on singing, Nelly Furtado.

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