This is a fine dog movie and good for the family without foul language and sex. Movies like this are so important because they remind us of how important dogs and other fellow animals are to us and how many of our human lives they have saved. Throughout history we have used animals like dogs, horses - even pigeons - to aid us in wars. Many thousands have been killed or slaughtered. Some have been recognised as the heroes they are but all to often these dear and faithful friends have been regarded as "things" and not sentient beings with feelings and emotions, beings that give us unconditional love and obedience. There have been better dog movies made in the past but Max is good and worth watching. Max is also a tribute to war dogs generally and hopefully will open some minds to the close relationship that exists between man the animal and his other animal friends.
103 Reviews
I Expected Something Different But I Loved The Movie
korgman-131172 August 2015
Don't let those Rotten Tomato critics sway you. This was a great movie and I am an adult who is also a veteran and German Shepherd Dog owner. While I thought it was going to be more about the dog adapting to civilian life it was something a lot different. I still liked the story and action scenes with the dog. The storyline actually had me guessing which I like in a movie. Even though most of the main characters were kids, it took me back to my days as a kid and when I had my first dog. Anyway, this movie will hopefully show people that dogs are actually very smart creatures and how we as humans need to find the best ways in order to provide them homes and prevent unwanted litters of pups. My dogs have never failed me while people have so many times. It's just a good feel good movie that people need to take in once in awhile.
Speed Review
griffolyon1218 July 2015
Max very well might be this generation's Rin Tin Tin, both are German Shepherds and both are the heroes of their respective stories. The titular Max starts out as a military dog in Afghanistan, but when his military handler dies, he returns to the States with dog PTSD to be cared for by the handler's family in Texas, and in particular their teenage son, Justin, who Max bonds with. This is a classic boy and dog story with a military angle to it that helps to differentiate it from the rest of the pack, with Justin and Max eventually embarking upon an adventure of sorts that requires all of Max's incomparable skills to save the day. This is the kind of family movie that isn't made anymore, it's clean cut and old-fashioned, and while it has some plot holes, there aren't many movies that you can take the whole family to anymore and that's why Max is special.
Loved it!
helgasvavars23 June 2015
I just saw Max yesterday at a screening in Vancouver and I loved it. After having watched the trailer I came in with low expectations, the story didn't seem very interesting and I wondered what they could do with the simple story line but I was pleasantly surprised. The film is very heart warming and entertaining. It had some action in it but the setup is very simple.There are no fancy computer graphics just good people/actors and a dog that's hard not to fall in love with. Its a feel good movie that's lovely to watch with family. The acting was good, I would recommend seeing this movie and will probably watch it again sometime.
"Max" is old-fashioned and imprefect, but is still an enjoyable action-adventure that the whole family can enjoy.
CleveMan6627 June 2015
Hollywood's affinity for heroic dogs on the big screen dates back to the silent film era, but only a very few of those canine characters became famous. A German Shepherd named Strongheart starred in a half-dozen silent films in the 1920s, including 1925's adaptation of the novel "White Fang". A much more famous German Shepherd movie star was Rin Tin Tin, who appeared in over two dozen movies in the 1920s and early 30s. Both dogs' bloodlines survive to this day, with Rin Tin Tin's direct descendants appearing in films into the 1940s, and Rin Tin Tin XII still making public appearances. Of course, the most famous hero dog of all is the collie named Lassie. As the character (a dog named Pal and Pal's descendants), Lassie made several movies in the 40s and early 50s (and a few more since), had a radio show in the late 40s and starred in a very popular 1954-1973 television series, and made various TV appearances since. So, can the hero dog in the movie "Max" (PG, 1:51) lay claim to the mantle of Strongheart, Rin Tin Tin and Lassie? That's a pretty tall order, but Max definitely fits the mold.
Max (played by a dog named Carlos, who previously appeared in "Project Almanac") is a Belgian Malinois (a type of Belgian Shepherd) who is employed as a military working dog, sniffing out weapons, explosives and other kinds of trouble for U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. When his handler, Kyle Wincott (Robbie Amell), is killed, Max accompanies the body back to the U.S. and is even brought to Kyle's funeral. The dog formed such a strong bond with Kyle and was so traumatized by combat that he won't obey anyone else. But Max is relatively calm around Kyle's teenage brother, Justin (Josh Wiggins), so Justin's parents, Ray (Thomas Hayden Church) and Pamela (Lauren Graham) decide to adopt the dog.
Like it or not (mostly not), Justin is put in charge of taking care of Max. Justin learns a few tricks from a girl named Carmen (Mia Xitlali), the cousin of his best friend, Chuy (Dejon LaQuake), and in a very short time, Max is off leash and following Justin and his friends as they daringly ride their bikes through the woods near their homes. Max seems to be warming up to everyone except Tyler Harne (Luke Kleintank), a boyhood friend of Kyle's and fellow Marine who was since returned from Afghanistan. Whenever Max sees Tyler, he wants to attack. Carmen tells Justin that dogs are usually good judges of character. Justin also senses that there is something not right about Tyler, even as Ray hires Tyler to work for him. Justin approaches another Marine dog handler (Jay Hernandez) for information about Tyler and does some deep forest reconnaissance of his own, with Max in tow. I don't want to reveal too much, so I'll just say that Justin's and Max's instincts about Tyler are not wrong and what they discover in those woods jeopardizes their safety and that of their family and friends.
"Max" is an old-fashioned action-adventure, very much in the tradition of earlier canine movie stars. There are clear-cut good guy and bad guy characters. Right and wrong are well-defined and values like loyalty and self-sacrifice are front and center. There is danger (shown with impressive cinematography) and even death, but no blood – and no swearing or sexuality. This is family-friendly fare at its finest almost. The first half of the movie is pretty slow. Some of the dialog is not just old-fashioned, it's distractingly trite and even a little silly. The performances from the adult cast members are strong, while the teenagers' acting is barely adequate. But those complaints matter less and less as the film progresses, especially if you're looking for a movie without the R-rated and even PG13-rated on-screen pitfalls that concern many parents. And I heard they're already planning a sequel in which Max has rabies. They're going to call it "Mad Max". (Sorry, couldn't resist.) But seriously folks, "Max" is the kind of movie Hollywood rarely makes these days. It's a throwback, and an imperfect one at that, but is one the whole family can enjoy. "B"
Max (played by a dog named Carlos, who previously appeared in "Project Almanac") is a Belgian Malinois (a type of Belgian Shepherd) who is employed as a military working dog, sniffing out weapons, explosives and other kinds of trouble for U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. When his handler, Kyle Wincott (Robbie Amell), is killed, Max accompanies the body back to the U.S. and is even brought to Kyle's funeral. The dog formed such a strong bond with Kyle and was so traumatized by combat that he won't obey anyone else. But Max is relatively calm around Kyle's teenage brother, Justin (Josh Wiggins), so Justin's parents, Ray (Thomas Hayden Church) and Pamela (Lauren Graham) decide to adopt the dog.
Like it or not (mostly not), Justin is put in charge of taking care of Max. Justin learns a few tricks from a girl named Carmen (Mia Xitlali), the cousin of his best friend, Chuy (Dejon LaQuake), and in a very short time, Max is off leash and following Justin and his friends as they daringly ride their bikes through the woods near their homes. Max seems to be warming up to everyone except Tyler Harne (Luke Kleintank), a boyhood friend of Kyle's and fellow Marine who was since returned from Afghanistan. Whenever Max sees Tyler, he wants to attack. Carmen tells Justin that dogs are usually good judges of character. Justin also senses that there is something not right about Tyler, even as Ray hires Tyler to work for him. Justin approaches another Marine dog handler (Jay Hernandez) for information about Tyler and does some deep forest reconnaissance of his own, with Max in tow. I don't want to reveal too much, so I'll just say that Justin's and Max's instincts about Tyler are not wrong and what they discover in those woods jeopardizes their safety and that of their family and friends.
"Max" is an old-fashioned action-adventure, very much in the tradition of earlier canine movie stars. There are clear-cut good guy and bad guy characters. Right and wrong are well-defined and values like loyalty and self-sacrifice are front and center. There is danger (shown with impressive cinematography) and even death, but no blood – and no swearing or sexuality. This is family-friendly fare at its finest almost. The first half of the movie is pretty slow. Some of the dialog is not just old-fashioned, it's distractingly trite and even a little silly. The performances from the adult cast members are strong, while the teenagers' acting is barely adequate. But those complaints matter less and less as the film progresses, especially if you're looking for a movie without the R-rated and even PG13-rated on-screen pitfalls that concern many parents. And I heard they're already planning a sequel in which Max has rabies. They're going to call it "Mad Max". (Sorry, couldn't resist.) But seriously folks, "Max" is the kind of movie Hollywood rarely makes these days. It's a throwback, and an imperfect one at that, but is one the whole family can enjoy. "B"
Parts were great! Other parts could use more polish
bopdog27 June 2015
I liked part of it, and was disappointed with another aspect of it. I liked the dogs, the "name" actors, and the overall, one-paragraph story. I had trouble with the script, the execution of the story, and some of the minor character actors.
I was also nervous about seeing a corny, ultra-patriotic political war message. That was surprisingly absent. Handled with subtlety, it was in very good taste. I was also nervous about the prospect of an overly sentimental dog story, one that might even be maudlin. tear-jerker (Sad is OK, but intentionally "pushing buttons" over and over just to create melodrama is tiresome). Needn't have worried - it was handled with a deft touch - subtle, yet moving. Good job with that.
The problem I had was the script, and thus the movement of the plot. It felt like some pieces were missing, somehow. Not fluid, not smooth. It was clunky and a bit clumsy - like a hastily made afternoon TV movie.
The girl, Carmen, was actually the best all-round kid here. Good actor - I totally bought her emotions, her dog training skills, and her overall motivations. The curl-haired guy, Chuy, was so annoying as a character - I couldn't tell if I was disliking the kid or the character. I suspect it was the character (so maybe that was good acting? Dunno).
I am a university teacher, and in my line of work this story would be great, but again, the script itself came off as a rough draft. A few more rewrites and 6 months of polishing would have made a big difference.
All in all - not bad. Probably family friendly, from 8 years old and up.
I was also nervous about seeing a corny, ultra-patriotic political war message. That was surprisingly absent. Handled with subtlety, it was in very good taste. I was also nervous about the prospect of an overly sentimental dog story, one that might even be maudlin. tear-jerker (Sad is OK, but intentionally "pushing buttons" over and over just to create melodrama is tiresome). Needn't have worried - it was handled with a deft touch - subtle, yet moving. Good job with that.
The problem I had was the script, and thus the movement of the plot. It felt like some pieces were missing, somehow. Not fluid, not smooth. It was clunky and a bit clumsy - like a hastily made afternoon TV movie.
The girl, Carmen, was actually the best all-round kid here. Good actor - I totally bought her emotions, her dog training skills, and her overall motivations. The curl-haired guy, Chuy, was so annoying as a character - I couldn't tell if I was disliking the kid or the character. I suspect it was the character (so maybe that was good acting? Dunno).
I am a university teacher, and in my line of work this story would be great, but again, the script itself came off as a rough draft. A few more rewrites and 6 months of polishing would have made a big difference.
All in all - not bad. Probably family friendly, from 8 years old and up.
For the dog lovers-a warmhearted tale of heroism
liveyanne26 June 2015
Going into view the movie, I had low expectations. I thought it was just going to be another boring kiddie movie. Boy, was I wrong!! This movie is action packed and intense. It kept me on the very edge of my seat the whole duration. There is some serious suspense to say the least. Not only that, but it's a real tear jerker. Good luck getting through this movie without becoming teary eyed at least once. I ended up falling in love with the dog Max and admired his loyalty toward his family. It really portrays how dogs are wonderful creatures at heart and brilliant judges of character. It's funny how one dog can make such a great impact. If you love dogs, warmhearted family stories, and tales of heroism then don't miss out on this one!
Surprisingly Enjoyable! 6/10
leonblackwood16 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Review: For a movie about a dog, I actually quite enjoyed it! I wasn't expecting deceptive gun runners and dog fights in the film and the emotional content did touch me, so I must admit, it was a joy to watch. It's about a US Marine, Kyle Wincott (Robbie Amell), who handles a dog, Max in Afghanistan. Max guides Kyles squad towards some hidden weapons but when the artillery goes missing, Kyle is questioned by his superior officers. Kyle soon realises that his close friend, Tyler Harne (Luke Kleintank), is involved in the missing weapons and he warns him that he's not going to cover for him again. Whilst on the battlefield, Max heads the squad toward a suicide bomber were Max gets injured and Kyle get shot and killed during a gun battle. Kyle's younger brother, Justin (Josh Wiggins), who makes money from pirating video games and his father, Ray (Thomas Haden Church) and mother Pamela (Lauren Graham), are informed about Kyle's death and during the burial, the US marines bring in Max to say goodbye to Kyle. Since the shooting in Afghanistan, Max has become uncontrollable but everyone can see that he is calm around Justin, because he can sense that he's Kyle's brother. As Max is due to be put down, the family agree to adopt him, as long as Justin takes control of him and they soon become best friends, with the help of his best friends cousin Carmen (Mia Xitlali). Tyler then visits the Wincotts and Max goes to attack him, because he knows of his dodgy gun dealings. Tyler then tells Ray that Kyle died because Max turned against.him so Justin goes to his fellow officer to investigate his brothers death. Justin is given a DVD to prove that Max wouldn't have turned on Kyle and while he is watching the film with Carmen and his best friend Chuy's, he is brought to tears and convinced that Tyler is lying. When they finish watching the DVD, Justin is approached by Chuy's other cousin, Emilio, whose a cartel member, about the pirate video games and they follow him into the woods and witness a arms deal with a police officer and Tyler. The police officers dogs can sense Max is nearby so they chase after him and Justin tries to flee the scene, leaving his bike behind. After Max fights of the police offers dogs, badly wounding one of them, they head home after hitchhiking a lift and when the police officer finds his bike, he goes to Justin house with Tyler and demands Max to be put down. Max manages to escape the pound and heads back to Justin house while Ray is held hostage because he has caught Tyler making an arms deal with the cartel. Max then leads Justin, Chuy and Carmen to Ray whereabouts and they manage to rescue Ray, after fighting of Emilio and the police officer. Tyler then comes face to face with Justin on a damaged bridge but he's attacked by Max, which kills Tyler and badly damages Max. After the whole dramatic incident, Max and Justin visit his brothers grave and the Wincotts adopt Max again. A sweet ending to a dramatic movie! The dog was brilliant throughout the movie and the emotional scenes at the funeral were brilliant. I would have liked to have seen some more footage of Max in Afghanistan with Kyle but apart from that, it's a decent film with enough elements to keep it interesting throughout. The dog is the real star of the movie but everyone puts in a good performance, which made the movie, surprisingly, a good watch. Enjoyable!
Round-Up: This movie was directed by Boaz Yakin, who also brought you Fresh in 1994, A Price Above Rubies with Renee Zellweger, Remember The Titans, Uptown Girls, Death in Love and Safe with Jason Statham. He's had a versatile career to date and he has worked with some big stars but taking on a movie with a dog must have been a big project, so I have to give him credit for that. He also put a lot of effort into the script, which I found quite entertaining, so for a family drama, this movie gets the thumbs up from me.
Budget: $20million Worldwide Gross: $44million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their family/adventure movies starring Thomas Haden Church, Josh Wiggins, Luke Kleintank and Lauren Graham. 6/10
Round-Up: This movie was directed by Boaz Yakin, who also brought you Fresh in 1994, A Price Above Rubies with Renee Zellweger, Remember The Titans, Uptown Girls, Death in Love and Safe with Jason Statham. He's had a versatile career to date and he has worked with some big stars but taking on a movie with a dog must have been a big project, so I have to give him credit for that. He also put a lot of effort into the script, which I found quite entertaining, so for a family drama, this movie gets the thumbs up from me.
Budget: $20million Worldwide Gross: $44million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their family/adventure movies starring Thomas Haden Church, Josh Wiggins, Luke Kleintank and Lauren Graham. 6/10
A Great Dog Movie!
stycz27 June 2015
Who are these naysayers panning this film? They obviously lack hearts and/or pets. And what is wrong with a predictable movie about a heroic army dog? I found the script actually ambitious in trying to cover a wide gamut of issues. But always at the core of the film is great love for Max and the central characters. It's a family film filled with the angst that everyone experiences in family relationships. It's also filled with great love within the family and the challenges that come with expressing it. The action sequences are breathtaking! I was actually relieved that it was a Disney movie because in the scariest of moments, I hoped Disney wouldn't break my heart. I don't think children under 7 should see this without parents nearby to hold their hands. Tissues are recommended for all but the hardest hearted movie critics.
I JUST HANDLE THE DOG
nogodnomasters18 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Kyle (Robbie Amell) is a Marine dog handler in Afghanistan. Following his death, through a series of improbable events, Kyle's brother Justin (Josh Wiggins) gets to keep the dog that only likes him. Justin's father (Thomas Haden Church) is a hard-nose man. Carmen (Mia Xitlali) is the new girl in town who knows something about dogs. Tyler (Luke Kleintank) is a war buddy of Kyle who is not on the up and up.
The plot is simple, straight forward, and improbable. It is a family film about a boy and his dog. No Old Yeller endings. Film has some "intense" scenes involving fighting, killing, and dog fights...otherwise a great film for the family.
The plot is simple, straight forward, and improbable. It is a family film about a boy and his dog. No Old Yeller endings. Film has some "intense" scenes involving fighting, killing, and dog fights...otherwise a great film for the family.
A great relationship driven film, that turns into a generic adventure film
stephendaxter13 July 2015
Max is a film following a dog whose owner was killed in battle and gets moved to stay with the family of his late owner. However, like people he suffered from PTSD and so he found it difficult to be around other people and trust anyone. And that was the aspect i loved about this film, seeing how the war affected this dog and how it affected his relationship with the people around him. They did a great job at capturing the emotions of this dog, and really showing how these events affect dogs in the same way they affect the soldiers. You really get to see how it affects him through his interactions with the various characters in the film, especially Justin; the brother of the deceased played by Josh Wiggins. The scenes where his and Max's relationship is being explored are definitely the highlights of the film and most of that is in the first third to half of the film. But i felt that the film wasted the perfect opportunity to really go in detail about how Max adjusts to trusting people other than Justin as he trusts Justin right from the beginning. After the first act, a lot of the character development was actually focused on Justin and some other life decisions he faced, now although some of this was interesting i felt that it lowered the importance of Max's transformation a little.
Where the biggest flaw with this movie lies is the plot, it is mostly fine for the first act or so but after that they bring in this side plot involving some secondary characters you don't want to really see. They begin to show up here and there and they were also useful for Max's transformation at one point. But then it just takes over the film in the last act and it turns into a completely different movie that really didn't fit the tone of the rest of the movie. It felt messy and turned into your generic good guy bad guy film where the family dog pitches in and helps out a little. During the entire third act, Max undergoes a pretty important change that i feel was rushed and not focused on when it was a big thing early in the film, and that kinda bugged me. How i would describe this film is, if you take the PTSD elements and all of the emotional family relationship stuff from American Sniper and get rid of the war moments and replace them with a generic young kid takes on the bad guys story you have this movie. So in the end, this film really captured my attention with depicting Max, his relationship with the people around him especially Justin, but it lost me with a sloppy, generic side plot that takes over a lot of the movie. - 4.5
Where the biggest flaw with this movie lies is the plot, it is mostly fine for the first act or so but after that they bring in this side plot involving some secondary characters you don't want to really see. They begin to show up here and there and they were also useful for Max's transformation at one point. But then it just takes over the film in the last act and it turns into a completely different movie that really didn't fit the tone of the rest of the movie. It felt messy and turned into your generic good guy bad guy film where the family dog pitches in and helps out a little. During the entire third act, Max undergoes a pretty important change that i feel was rushed and not focused on when it was a big thing early in the film, and that kinda bugged me. How i would describe this film is, if you take the PTSD elements and all of the emotional family relationship stuff from American Sniper and get rid of the war moments and replace them with a generic young kid takes on the bad guys story you have this movie. So in the end, this film really captured my attention with depicting Max, his relationship with the people around him especially Justin, but it lost me with a sloppy, generic side plot that takes over a lot of the movie. - 4.5
Great family movie
cosmacelf27 June 2015
I saw Max with my 10 year old sons. Absolutely awesome movie to see with your age 10 to 16 child. It is much more than a movie about a heroic dog. It is also a coming of age movie that has some deep dives into responsibility, relationships, and ethics. Oh, and it is a great adventure flick too.
The dog will hook your kids and get them past some early dialog. But once the movie gets going, hold onto your seats! Very exciting. Suffice it to say that the audience gave the movie a long round of applause as the credits rolled. And hopefully some of the life lessons will rub off on the kids...
The dog will hook your kids and get them past some early dialog. But once the movie gets going, hold onto your seats! Very exciting. Suffice it to say that the audience gave the movie a long round of applause as the credits rolled. And hopefully some of the life lessons will rub off on the kids...
The trouble with this movie will show up in a year or so
tom_f_harper10 July 2015
This was a decent, albeit somewhat long movie that could have enjoyed a little editing. I enjoyed it, as did my 10 year old son.
Here's the problem. I own a Belgian Malinois. They're wonderful dogs that are very smart, quite trainable and looking to please. They also require extensive daily training and heavy amounts of exercise. If you get one of these dogs expecting they'll bond to a couple of 13 year olds in two days and respond to other people reasonably without a lot of work you're going to be very disappointed and the dog is going to end up in a shelter after it eats your bed, couch, etc.
You cannot leave this dog alone in a house or an apartment for hours and hours at a time. Its not a part time dog. Its not a family dog. Unless you have extensive experience with dog training and expect to spend hours a day in training and exercise, you're going to have a problem with this breed.
Its a working breed that needs a job. I'm retired and have decades of experience with dogs, and mine is a challenge. She's jumped a 6'+ fence, dug under it twice, she has a strong aversion to cars and other animals. I got her at ~2 years old with some training, but she'd been dumped at a shelter and adopted out/returned twice.
Unfortunately the movie made the breed look pretty easily managed and lots of people will want the "tough guy dog", so mill breeders will be turning them out like they did Dalmation's and Chihuahua's when those movies came out. I wish they'd made the dog a German Shepherd, those are FAR easier to handle.
If all of that wasn't enough to turn you away from trying to turn one of these into a family dog, once a Mal gets its teeth into something, it does not want to let go.
Here's the problem. I own a Belgian Malinois. They're wonderful dogs that are very smart, quite trainable and looking to please. They also require extensive daily training and heavy amounts of exercise. If you get one of these dogs expecting they'll bond to a couple of 13 year olds in two days and respond to other people reasonably without a lot of work you're going to be very disappointed and the dog is going to end up in a shelter after it eats your bed, couch, etc.
You cannot leave this dog alone in a house or an apartment for hours and hours at a time. Its not a part time dog. Its not a family dog. Unless you have extensive experience with dog training and expect to spend hours a day in training and exercise, you're going to have a problem with this breed.
Its a working breed that needs a job. I'm retired and have decades of experience with dogs, and mine is a challenge. She's jumped a 6'+ fence, dug under it twice, she has a strong aversion to cars and other animals. I got her at ~2 years old with some training, but she'd been dumped at a shelter and adopted out/returned twice.
Unfortunately the movie made the breed look pretty easily managed and lots of people will want the "tough guy dog", so mill breeders will be turning them out like they did Dalmation's and Chihuahua's when those movies came out. I wish they'd made the dog a German Shepherd, those are FAR easier to handle.
If all of that wasn't enough to turn you away from trying to turn one of these into a family dog, once a Mal gets its teeth into something, it does not want to let go.
"Max" Could Have Been So Much Better...With a LOT of Changes
pioneerlythere3728 September 2015
I can't wait for a movie about a military combat dog. And although Max may appear to be one, what it's really about is a boy named Justin, taking possession of Max after Justin's brother, who happened to be Max's owner, dies, and Justin has to train him and then they save the day together. So basically, it was your average family movie, showcasing hardly anything new. Although Max's name is in the title, the movie is more about Justin, the sour teenager who hates his brother's and father's patriotism, and pirates video games to make a few bucks. I would have preferred a movie about Max, since he's a great dog and a great actor (yeah, the dog's the best actor in the film, except for maybe Thomas Haden Church, Justin's dad), but the film leaves us utterly disappointed in that aspect. As one critic said, "It's as if the Coen brothers, or maybe Quentin Tarantino, were invited to script a few scenes in Dora the Explorer." That's about the best way to put it; that's how painful it is when movie makers try to make a family movie, while mixing in violent themes. Lassie meets American Sniper. I'm sure that sounded funny in the pitch. If only it would have tried better to be the dog version of War Horse, then it might have been better. But then again, War Horse had Spielberg.
Although the movie doesn't get off on the right footing, one scene is executed well: at the funeral, Max drags his carrier through the aisle, jumps up on the coffin as if trying to find his master, then lays down loyally on the ground in front of the coffin. The funeral proceedings proceed, and then one of the only well-crafted scenes is over. Max's friend Chuy tries to provide some comic relief, but ultimately fails, since the movie would need a lot more than just him to make up for its disappointments. Justin's character is completely uninteresting, his mom is the only character that tries to be inspiring...but she fails, his dad is annoyingly gullible, and, well, this list could go on for a while longer. There were so many extremely agonizing moments, scenes, etc., I practically forgot them all.
But, after a long wait, the kind of exciting climax (almost) saves the day; well, it would be a stretch to say almost, because unfortunately, it would have taken a lot more than just one decent climax to save this movie. The movie is full of clichés, but the climax is a totally surprising turn for a children's movie, and although for an action scene it was not very tense, at least it felt like it after the mind-numbing first hour. After Max, I will open my arms to any other military combat dog movie, under a couple of conditions:
1) It actually has real war--which means it has to be PG-13, and 2) It doesn't star a bratty teenager
The movie still might be very good, but it's hard to imagine it would be worse than Max.
Although the movie doesn't get off on the right footing, one scene is executed well: at the funeral, Max drags his carrier through the aisle, jumps up on the coffin as if trying to find his master, then lays down loyally on the ground in front of the coffin. The funeral proceedings proceed, and then one of the only well-crafted scenes is over. Max's friend Chuy tries to provide some comic relief, but ultimately fails, since the movie would need a lot more than just him to make up for its disappointments. Justin's character is completely uninteresting, his mom is the only character that tries to be inspiring...but she fails, his dad is annoyingly gullible, and, well, this list could go on for a while longer. There were so many extremely agonizing moments, scenes, etc., I practically forgot them all.
But, after a long wait, the kind of exciting climax (almost) saves the day; well, it would be a stretch to say almost, because unfortunately, it would have taken a lot more than just one decent climax to save this movie. The movie is full of clichés, but the climax is a totally surprising turn for a children's movie, and although for an action scene it was not very tense, at least it felt like it after the mind-numbing first hour. After Max, I will open my arms to any other military combat dog movie, under a couple of conditions:
1) It actually has real war--which means it has to be PG-13, and 2) It doesn't star a bratty teenager
The movie still might be very good, but it's hard to imagine it would be worse than Max.
My new best movie!!!
micheltom7 December 2020
I recently watched this movie and really liked it !!
This movie is so much better than other new, cool movies !!
It's not just about sex and brutality !
And not just a doggy family adventure movie !!
It has serious content !!
How an animal (dog) can change a person's life
Not a perfect movie! There are mistakes!!
BUT let's look at its content and not just for kids !!
One of the most significant movies I have ever seen for me !!
I recommend anyone to watch and not just watch brutal, scary, horrible movies !!
Such a movie is much more valuable than other famous big movies !
+I'm sorry about the second part😥😥 The real is family adventure movie with no more content !! I was expecting more from a MAX 2 !!
+I'm sorry about the second part😥😥 The real is family adventure movie with no more content !! I was expecting more from a MAX 2 !!
A consistently entertaining, hot mess of a film
StevePulaski26 June 2015
"Max" concerns a military dog of the same name, a Belgian Malinois, who returns home from his service traumatized by the death of Kyle Wilcott (Robbie Amell), his former handler. The Wilcott family, made up of the stern, military-minded father Robbie (Thomas Haden Church), the softspoken mother Pamela (Lauren Graham), and their younger, surviving son Justin (Josh Wiggins), accept the responsibility to take care of the dog when it becomes unfit to work in combat. Max, while apprehensive and ostensibly wired to attack when seeing anybody who isn't his handler, takes a liking to Justin almost instinctively, and Justin winds up bearing a great deal of the responsibility in training him, getting the help of his best friend Chuy (Dejon LaQuake) and his cousin Carmen (Mia Xitlali).
Meanwhile, Kyle's surviving squadmate Tyler (Luke Kleintank) returns home, claiming he obtained severe injuries from the explosion that killed Kyle which resulted in heavy amounts of shrapnel in his back and spine. However, Justin, his pals, and Max know he's hiding something, as he is in cahoots with a local firearms dealer and informs Robbie that Kyle died because Max turned on him in combat. With the help of Max, Justin needs to prove that not only is Kyle's pet a loyal one, but Tyler is also in on shady, illegal business at the expense of his fallen brother.
"Max" is destined to be one of the family crowdpleasers of the summer; it has all the right components to make families smile, laugh, tear up, and applaud. In America, we seem to like our war stories told with high doses of saccharine sentimentality and emotion and "Max" delivers that to a notable fault. I've always loathed cheap, emotional manipulation in films, be it through overly obvious lines, cloying orchestration, or situations that feel like nothing more than cheap pathos. "Max" always tries to circumvent to get the audience to feel something grand and, in doing so, undermines the inherent emotional value of this story at hand.
What "Max" doesn't do too much of, until its quietly obnoxious end scene, is include the kind of cheap, flag-waving nationalism that only seems fit following national tragedies. Whenever the film seems to detour down that route, be it showcasing a parade or having Justin's father Robbie harp on his duty as a Marine, screenwriters Sheldon Lettich and director Boaz Yakin correct themselves to have the story focus more on the characters and their difficult predicaments rather than narrow their sights on the obvious American flag praising.
Yet "Max" was something I really wasn't expecting and that something was its consistent value as summer entertainment. Throughout its entire runtime, "Max" is never boring, flowing with kinetic energy, making good use of its central characters without introducing too many, and housing two strong central performances. First and foremost, Josh Wiggins handles Justin's character perfectly, complete with the sporadic sighs, lack of eye contact, and introversion that gets mistaken for stubbornness. Such an attitude brings out the worst characteristics of Robbie, who is given great life by Thomas Haden Church. Church gives a strong performance of the kind of father who's experiences in the Marines defined him as a person so much so that he can't understand why anybody else wouldn't think or act like him. Church has it all in his look and tone of voice, summoning fright in anyone who dares question his authority.
"Max" is a hot mess of a film, but it's a hot mess that will nonetheless find itself an audience made up of dog lovers, war movie lovers, and family movie lovers. It's hard enough for a film to nail one of those demographics, but to do all three means there's a serious tonal and structural cacophony at work, which there admittedly is here. Solid performances across the board and a strong resonance of entertainment work to prevail here, but not enough to disguise the inevitable emotional manipulation and incredulity taking place here. There's fun to be had and tears to be shed, although those tears would be better suited on the floors of theaters showing Pixar's "Inside Out" instead.
Meanwhile, Kyle's surviving squadmate Tyler (Luke Kleintank) returns home, claiming he obtained severe injuries from the explosion that killed Kyle which resulted in heavy amounts of shrapnel in his back and spine. However, Justin, his pals, and Max know he's hiding something, as he is in cahoots with a local firearms dealer and informs Robbie that Kyle died because Max turned on him in combat. With the help of Max, Justin needs to prove that not only is Kyle's pet a loyal one, but Tyler is also in on shady, illegal business at the expense of his fallen brother.
"Max" is destined to be one of the family crowdpleasers of the summer; it has all the right components to make families smile, laugh, tear up, and applaud. In America, we seem to like our war stories told with high doses of saccharine sentimentality and emotion and "Max" delivers that to a notable fault. I've always loathed cheap, emotional manipulation in films, be it through overly obvious lines, cloying orchestration, or situations that feel like nothing more than cheap pathos. "Max" always tries to circumvent to get the audience to feel something grand and, in doing so, undermines the inherent emotional value of this story at hand.
What "Max" doesn't do too much of, until its quietly obnoxious end scene, is include the kind of cheap, flag-waving nationalism that only seems fit following national tragedies. Whenever the film seems to detour down that route, be it showcasing a parade or having Justin's father Robbie harp on his duty as a Marine, screenwriters Sheldon Lettich and director Boaz Yakin correct themselves to have the story focus more on the characters and their difficult predicaments rather than narrow their sights on the obvious American flag praising.
Yet "Max" was something I really wasn't expecting and that something was its consistent value as summer entertainment. Throughout its entire runtime, "Max" is never boring, flowing with kinetic energy, making good use of its central characters without introducing too many, and housing two strong central performances. First and foremost, Josh Wiggins handles Justin's character perfectly, complete with the sporadic sighs, lack of eye contact, and introversion that gets mistaken for stubbornness. Such an attitude brings out the worst characteristics of Robbie, who is given great life by Thomas Haden Church. Church gives a strong performance of the kind of father who's experiences in the Marines defined him as a person so much so that he can't understand why anybody else wouldn't think or act like him. Church has it all in his look and tone of voice, summoning fright in anyone who dares question his authority.
"Max" is a hot mess of a film, but it's a hot mess that will nonetheless find itself an audience made up of dog lovers, war movie lovers, and family movie lovers. It's hard enough for a film to nail one of those demographics, but to do all three means there's a serious tonal and structural cacophony at work, which there admittedly is here. Solid performances across the board and a strong resonance of entertainment work to prevail here, but not enough to disguise the inevitable emotional manipulation and incredulity taking place here. There's fun to be had and tears to be shed, although those tears would be better suited on the floors of theaters showing Pixar's "Inside Out" instead.
A good movie, but really violent.
marscars26 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this movie with my sister, mom, and friend. The battle scene where Kyle was killed was very intense, and at the times when Max was close to being killed nearly brought me to tears.
I would most likely not watch this film again because of the violence, yet the swearing didn't concern me.
Overall, this is a good movie but I would not recommend it for children 4-7 because of the intense violent scenes or sad scenes. The violence was enough to make a young child next to us cry, so judging by that I think that young children or children who are easily scared should not see this movie.
I give this movie a 7/10.
I would most likely not watch this film again because of the violence, yet the swearing didn't concern me.
Overall, this is a good movie but I would not recommend it for children 4-7 because of the intense violent scenes or sad scenes. The violence was enough to make a young child next to us cry, so judging by that I think that young children or children who are easily scared should not see this movie.
I give this movie a 7/10.
Amazing:)
chelseylevett26 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Honestly, this movie was perfect. It had a great story. I don't usually cry in movies. It made me tear up a lot and i couldn't stop my self. I really recommend anyone who loves dogs or you know someone who worked in the army or something to watch this. It's a great movie kids. It even had some laughs in their too which was great. Everyone will enjoy this. Im 18 and so is my boyfriend and he teared up too :). I would definitely go see this again for my self .Also when i first watched the trailer i had to see it and counted the day for it to come out thats how excited i was to see it, it looked really good! And once again i recommend you watch this movie with your family ( and dog)
Rin Tin Tin & Lassie Would Be Proud
stevendbeard27 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I saw "Max", starring Thomas Haden Church-We Bought a Zoo, Spider-Man 3; Lauren Graham-Gilmore Girls_tv, Bad Santa; Josh Wiggins-this is his second movie with Hellion being his first; Robbie Amell-Firestorm in The Flash_tv, Cheaper By the Dozen 2, FYI:he is the cousin of Stephen Amell who plays the Arrow; Luke Kleintank-Bones_tv, Gossip Girl_tv and of course Max-who is a Belgian Malinois, which is a type of Belgian Shepherd, was actually played by about 5 different dogs.
This is a family friendly film about a dog hero that is sort of in the style of the old Rin Tin Tin and Lassie adventures. Thomas plays a retired Marine that is married to Lauren. Robbie and Josh are their two sons, with Robbie being older and in the Marines, like dear old dad and Josh is a stay at home video gamer, when he is not riding his bicycle in the park with his friends. Robbie is the dog handler to Max, a highly trained search & rescue dog that is used in Afghanistan to find enemy weapons. Luke is a childhood friend of Robbie's and is in the same squad, but he has a side business going on that involves smuggling guns back home to certain persons of interest. After Robbie is killed on a mission, Max is sent back stateside, along with Robbie's body, because he develops PTSD just like regular soldiers do. It is soon evident that Max won't be usable on anymore missions and is set to be put down, when Josh discovers that he has a bond with him-being Robbie's brother probably has something to do with that. Luke also shows up to check on how his side business is going on with the Mexican cartels. Well, if you guess that Max and Josh get involved in his business, then I'm not going to tell you any differently. As the end credits start, they show pictures of other dogs that have been in service to the military but there is nothing at the very end. It's rated "PG" for violence and some mild language and has a running time of 1 hour & 51 minutes. I enjoyed it enough that I would buy it on DVD.
This is a family friendly film about a dog hero that is sort of in the style of the old Rin Tin Tin and Lassie adventures. Thomas plays a retired Marine that is married to Lauren. Robbie and Josh are their two sons, with Robbie being older and in the Marines, like dear old dad and Josh is a stay at home video gamer, when he is not riding his bicycle in the park with his friends. Robbie is the dog handler to Max, a highly trained search & rescue dog that is used in Afghanistan to find enemy weapons. Luke is a childhood friend of Robbie's and is in the same squad, but he has a side business going on that involves smuggling guns back home to certain persons of interest. After Robbie is killed on a mission, Max is sent back stateside, along with Robbie's body, because he develops PTSD just like regular soldiers do. It is soon evident that Max won't be usable on anymore missions and is set to be put down, when Josh discovers that he has a bond with him-being Robbie's brother probably has something to do with that. Luke also shows up to check on how his side business is going on with the Mexican cartels. Well, if you guess that Max and Josh get involved in his business, then I'm not going to tell you any differently. As the end credits start, they show pictures of other dogs that have been in service to the military but there is nothing at the very end. It's rated "PG" for violence and some mild language and has a running time of 1 hour & 51 minutes. I enjoyed it enough that I would buy it on DVD.
Max
ForTheMostPart19998 November 2022
It's hard to argue against a decent enough made movie about a dog, especially a military one. Partially based on true events comes a film about a surviving German Shepherd previously serving for the U. S. army with some missions including Iraq. After the dog's "best friend" dies, his next closest bond just so happens to be a much closer relative and luckily finds a home for itself before he would become a potentially dangerous threat from years of service. As time goes on, certain things for the grieving family never seemed to happen like they should've. As I mentioned before, it's hard not to say this movie was certainly bad, although some of the acting for one thing felt a bit dry and weary at times. For some reason, I felt more emotional at around the first ten minutes than I did the last thirty. The story maybe wasn't much what I expected either, but it was still one neat bond when it comes to Max himself and his new best friend probably for life (if the story were to continue). You get a nice emotional attachment to the dog throughout much of the film and a good movie overall for the family.
It's terrible.... This is what would happen If an idiot made a Lifetime Movie
chance_barron6 July 2015
If you are expecting a movie about a war dog, and their work in combat, you may like the first five minutes of this film. That's about all you'll see of that.
It's a ham-fisted debacle .... Bad screenplay, poorly written characters, and poor direction in general. I literally started laughing towards the end of the film because it was so absurdly and mind bogglingly stupid. Characters are frustratingly imbecilic and consistently act in unmotivated ways because the screenplay felt like it was written by a twelve year old. Seriously felt like a lifetime movie and a money-grab -- well marketed and targeted towards dog lovers -- but poorly executed on all fronts.
To be fair, there Is one moment in this train-wreck of a movie that the director did a good job with -- there's a very well shot action sequence involving our hero kid cycling through the woods and Max chasing after him. But pretty much everything that involves human beings talking to each other was terrible.
Wanted to like this film. Disappointing.
It's a ham-fisted debacle .... Bad screenplay, poorly written characters, and poor direction in general. I literally started laughing towards the end of the film because it was so absurdly and mind bogglingly stupid. Characters are frustratingly imbecilic and consistently act in unmotivated ways because the screenplay felt like it was written by a twelve year old. Seriously felt like a lifetime movie and a money-grab -- well marketed and targeted towards dog lovers -- but poorly executed on all fronts.
To be fair, there Is one moment in this train-wreck of a movie that the director did a good job with -- there's a very well shot action sequence involving our hero kid cycling through the woods and Max chasing after him. But pretty much everything that involves human beings talking to each other was terrible.
Wanted to like this film. Disappointing.
A good watch for pet lovers !!!
maildandotiya2 March 2021
Sometimes its good to go off track and watch something out of your genre. Although I didn't any pet now but I related with the movie very much.
Go for it you will love it anytime.
A good family movie for Indian audience.
Go for it you will love it anytime.
A good family movie for Indian audience.
Belgian shepherd...
xavimc6022 January 2016
The Belgian Shepherd or Malinois is so called as the breed was first established in the Belgian city of Malines. Also I am a french citizen in my mid 50's and as many people do not know, the french army is using Malinois as "war" dogs as they are much more efficient than German shepherd. As far as I know, they are not used in combat missions but are used for example as security patrols in air force bases. And also I would like to tell that if any viewer would be tempted to buy a Malinois just because of this excellent movie, I would discourage them as dealing with a Malinois is kind of different as dealing with a Yorkshire as Malinois are very obedient dogs but as play companions, even if they are very faithful to the owners, they would not be my first choice. Waoof!!
Military dogs that return from duty are treated more like damaged weapons than damaged soldiers.
vsd3246 August 2017
Max is a must-see film for animal lovers. More so, it's a must-see movie for those who are oblivious to how poorly animals are treated in the US. Max is based on a true story about a Belgian Malinois used in military operations in Afghanistan. His handler, Kyle Wilcott (Robbie Arnell) is killed in action, and Max is sent back home. Much like humans, dogs experience post traumatic stress disorder; so upon his return Max is very irritable and unapproachable. Unfortunately, dogs that return in this state are treated no differently than a piece of equipment that returns damaged—they are discarded. This awful act is one of the messages this movie tries to convey. How can a dog be treated like a tank or a gun? Do tanks and arms undergo PTSD? So how can dogs be associated more with the equipment than the solders that return? Kyle's father Ray (Thomas Haden Church) is a veteran who sympathizes with the military trained dogs, and offers to take Max into his home; both as a rescue and as a responsibility to give to his younger son Justin (Josh Wiggins) who is in need of some discipline. The only time Max is calm is in Justin's presence—Max senses the relationship to Kyle. Justin's best friend is Chuy (Dejon LaQuake) Chuy has a cousin Carmen (Mia Xitali) staying with him. Carmen is familiar with dog rescues, and helps Justin to train Max. We see that Max is a good judge of character, lashing out at anyone evil while being calmer to good-natured people. Max's relentless ferocity to bad people causes problems. Josh finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time with the overzealous Max, and they get involved in some shady business between Tyler (Luke Kleintank), Kyle's partner in the military, and Emilio (Joseph Julian Soria) a thuggish relative of Chuy. The movie itself was an OK action adventure, but the movie was more about the message. Hopefully after seeing this film people will realize a dog more like a sergeant than an AK-47.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
