FilmSnobReviews

Title: Max
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Boaz Yakin
Starring: Robbie Amell, Lauren Graham, Thomas Haden Church
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

What It Is: Max is a dog that’s been to war. When his owner Kyle (Amell) is KIA the dog is brought back into civilian life, and like a human soldier has trouble adapting to his only friend being gone. When Kyle’s family take him in Max immediately bonds with Kyle’s younger brother Justin (Josh Wiggins) and off goes an adventure that’ll show them things about their late kin they didn’t know, and some perhaps they may not have wanted to.

What We Think: It’s so mediocre. There’s an interesting and heartfelt story being told here, but it’s one that isn’t well told. This talented cast is far above the material, in addition they’re wasted by this. While it pulls on the heart strings to an extent it simply isn’t enough to make for an interesting or even intriuging film in the least. Robbie Amell is underused, and Thomas Haden Church is all but useless. The young man playing Justin is good enough but sadly it’s difficult to connect or care about any of this in the long run.

Our Grade: D+, Oof, I really thought this had a chance to be good, not great but good. Let’s hope that next time out they can get something like this right. Max is in theaters now but I cannot recommend you see it there. Instead wait for the DVD/Blu-Ray to come out. This isn’t something you can’t miss, in fact if you miss it you might be doing yourself a favor.