NOT a Matrix rip-off.
Shooting people is fun and satisfying, the slow motion stuff works really well, and is more stylish than most games. It really is that much fun to go shooting people in slow motion. It's movie-like and comic like at the same time. All of the cutscenes are told in graphic novels, and they're interesting. But, there's always the problem of the actors.
All of the actors aren't really actors. Well, the voice actors are, but the other actors aren't. Which means:
1. Max Payne looks constipated at all times.
2. The insane characters look normal, and strikingly friendly.
3. The main boss looks like the average grandmother.
Sound is good. Voice actors are good, especially Max. The voice really matches the tone of the game. The music can be unbareably repetitave, as every time you find an item the theme plays, which gets annoying.
The amount of time to beat the game is lengthy enough, and your supposed to beat it on the hard mode for a special secret at the end. Yeah, once you beat it, most likely, you'll play your favorite levels over again. Then leave the game alone. Then...hopefully...buy the supremely awesome sequel.