The Belgian Malinois that played Max did wonderful. They were trained not only to display the frantic, high-drive canines that this breed can be, but also the loyal, affectionate aspect to the breed.
From Warner Bros. Pictures:
“Max,” the new movie from Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, is a family action adventure from writer/director Boaz Yakin (“Remember the Titans,” “Now You See Me”).
Coming to theaters June 26th, 2015 “Max” is about a precision-trained military dog, who serves on the front-lines in Afghanistan alongside his handler, U.S. Marine Kyle Wincott. But when things go terribly wrong on maneuvers, Kyle is mortally wounded and Max, traumatized by the loss of his best friend, is unable to remain in service. Max is then shipped stateside, where the only human he seems willing to connect with is Kyle’s teenage brother, Justin, so Max is adopted by Kyle’s family, essentially saving his life. But Justin has issues of his own, such as living up to his father’s expectations for him; he isn’t interested in taking responsibility for his brother’s troubled dog. However, Max may be Justin’s only chance to discover what really happened to his brother that day on the front, and with the help of a tough-talking young teen, Carmen, who has a way with dogs, Justin begins to appreciate his canine companion.
Justin’s growing trust in Max helps the four-legged veteran revert back to his heroic self, and as the pair race against time to unravel the mystery, they find more excitement—and danger—than they bargained for. But they each might also find an unlikely new best friend…in each other.
“Max” has been rated PG by the MPAA for action violence, peril, brief language and some thematic elements.
I’ve seen the preview and I think it looks like a great movie. However, like you I’m not the most fond of military movies because they can be heartbreaking. I am thinking this one ends on a positive note though, which is good… of course I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know! (And how cool that you got to watch the early release as press!)
I don’t like watching military movies either. This one does sound pretty interesting and I hope the Military Working Dog Retirement Act passes!
TW doesn’t do to movies at all, let alone military movies. This one looks very touching.
I can’t wait to see this. My husband especially loves war movies, and got me more interested in the history of wars. And, of course, we’re both crazy about dogs. I have a feeling we’re going to love this hero. Thanks for the great review. You’ve piqued my interest. 🙂
It sounds like a good movie – more than just a “token dog” movie.
Last summer I got to witness a reunion of a retired solder and his handler. He was lucky to be able to adopt the dog after it retired. He told me of the difficulty he had doing so. He said that he was a little afraid that the dog wouldn’t remember him since it had been well over a year since they had seen each other. It was a happy reunion to witness. The larger story published in a print magazine but you can read a little about it here: http://ow.ly/OLzxq