Max (2015 film)

Last updated
Max
Max poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Boaz Yakin
Screenplay by
Produced by
  • Karen Rosenfelt
  • Ken Blancato
Starring
Cinematography Stefan Czapsky
Edited by Bill Pankow
Music by Trevor Rabin
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • June 26, 2015 (2015-06-26)(United States)
Running time
111 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million [2]
Box office$44 million [3]

Max is a 2015 American family adventure war drama film directed by Boaz Yakin, and co-written with Sheldon Lettich. The film stars Josh Wiggins, Thomas Haden Church, Robbie Amell, Lauren Graham, Luke Kleintank, and Jay Hernandez. The film was released by Warner Bros. on June 26, 2015.

Contents

Plot

Max, a Belgian Malinois military dog [4] used to help U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, is handled by Kyle Wincott (Marine MWD). Kyle is questioned when weapons seized by his squad go missing. Realizing his friend Tyler Harne is among those involved with the shady dealings, he warns Tyler that he cannot cover for him. The two then go into the battlefield with their squad, with Max on point. While advancing on a suicide bomber, Max is injured by an explosion. In the ensuing gunfight, Kyle is shot and killed.

Kyle's brother Justin, who makes money selling illegally copied video games, their mother Pamela and their father Ray are informed of his death. After Kyle's body is brought home for burial, the other Marines notice that Max is only calm when he is around Justin, apparently sensing that he is Kyle's brother. The family adopts the dog, who would otherwise be euthanized for his disturbed behavior. Justin initially wants little to do with Max but eventually warms up to him. While meeting up with his friend Chuy, Justin meets Chuy's cousin Carmen, who offers to go to his house and show him some handling tricks for Max. Little by little, Max's behavior improves around other people.

Tyler visits the Wincotts one evening, provoking an aggressive response by Max. Later, after the Fourth of July, Ray asks Tyler what really happened. Tyler implies that Max turned on Kyle and caused him to discharge his weapon on himself, leading to his death. Justin decides to investigate the matter. He receives a DVD of Kyle training Max; he later contacts a friend of Kyle, Sergeant Reyes, for help.

Later, Justin is approached by Chuy's other cousin Emilio, a cartel member, who presses him over a video game bootleg. Afterwards, Justin and Max follow Emilio into the woods, where they secretly observe a meeting between cartel members and Tyler, who tries selling stolen weapons to them. The cartel's dogs sense Max and run after him. Max fights them off, severely wounding one of the dogs, while Justin runs away and leaves his bike behind. When he gets home, he finds Tyler and Stack, the cartel's dog handler, who was injured in the melee. Feigning innocence, they accuse Max of doing harm and demand his euthanization.

Max is taken by animal control officers but escapes. Meanwhile, Ray catches Tyler making a business deal with the cartel but is held hostage by Emilio. Max makes it home and leads Justin, Chuy, and Carmen into the woods to rescue Ray. Confronting the cartel, they incapacitate Emilio and the last cartel dog and rescue Ray. Tyler chases after Justin while Stack chases after Ray. Eventually, Stack is killed when Ray shoots at his off-road pickup truck and causes him to crash. Tyler corners Justin at a damaged bridge and is threatening to shoot him. Max distracts Tyler and allows Justin to knock Tyler off balance, which then allows Max to attack Tyler and save Justin's life. The two are knocked over the side of the bridge; while Tyler is killed by the fall, Max gets injured but survives. Afterwards, Emilio is arrested and sent to jail.

The family welcomes Max into their home. After Justin and Max visit Kyle's grave, they invite Chuy and Carmen over for dinner.

Cast

Production

In May 2014, Variety reported that Boaz Yakin would direct the family film titled Max for Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [6] Principal photography began in North Carolina on May 12, 2014. [7]

Release and reception

The film was scheduled for release in the United States on January 30, 2015. [6] Then it was pushed back to August 21, 2015, and on March 3, 2015, it was moved two months forward to June 26, 2015. [8]

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Max was released alongside Ted 2 , and was projected to gross around $10 million from 2,850 theaters in its opening weekend. [2] [9] It earned $500,000 from its Thursday night showings and $4.3 million on its opening day (including the Thursday previews). [10] [11] Through its opening weekend, it grossed $12.2 million, fourth place among all films behind Jurassic World , Inside Out , and Ted 2. [12]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 38% based on 98 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Max has good intentions and tries to hearken back to classic family-friendly features, but its disjointed, manipulative plot overwhelms the efforts of its talented human and canine stars." [13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [14] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. [15]

Sequel

A sequel, Max 2: White House Hero , was released theatrically on May 5, 2017. It was released digitally on May 9, 2017, and released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 23, 2017. [16] However, this sequel is more lighthearted and family-friendly than the previous film.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Iron Giant</i> 1999 animated film by Brad Bird

The Iron Giant is a 1999 American animated science fiction film produced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation and directed by Brad Bird in his directorial debut. It is based on the 1968 novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, and was written by Tim McCanlies from a story treatment by Bird. The film stars the voices of Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Vin Diesel, James Gammon, Cloris Leachman, John Mahoney, Eli Marienthal, Christopher McDonald, and M. Emmet Walsh. Set during the Cold War in 1957, the film centers on a young boy named Hogarth Hughes, who discovers and befriends a giant alien robot. With the help of a beatnik artist named Dean McCoppin, Hogarth attempts to prevent the U.S. military and Kent Mansley, a paranoid federal agent, from finding and destroying the Giant.

<i>Jurassic World</i> 2015 film directed by Colin Trevorrow

Jurassic World is a 2015 American science fiction action film directed by Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Derek Connolly from a story by Jaffa and Silver. It is the first installment in the Jurassic World trilogy and the fourth installment overall in the Jurassic Park film series, following Jurassic Park III (2001). The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, and Irrfan Khan. Wong reprised his role from the original Jurassic Park film. Set 22 years after the events of Jurassic Park, Jurassic World takes place on the same fictional island of Isla Nublar, located off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. A successful theme park of cloned dinosaurs, dubbed Jurassic World, has operated on the island for years, bringing John Hammond's dream to fruition. The park plunges into chaos when a transgenic dinosaur escapes from its enclosure and goes on a rampage, while a conspiracy orchestrated by the park's staff creates more dangers.

<i>Magic Mike</i> 2012 film by Steven Soderbergh

Magic Mike is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey. The plot revolves around Adam, a 19-year-old college dropout who enters the world of male stripping, guided by Mike Lane, who has been in the business for six years.

<i>The Lorax</i> (film) 2012 Illumination film

The Lorax, also known as Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, is a 2012 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is the second screen adaptation of Dr. Seuss' 1971 children's book of the same name following the 1972 animated television special. Directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Kyle Balda, produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy and written by the writing team of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, it stars the voices of Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, Jenny Slate and Betty White.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Kleintank</span> American actor (born 1990)

Luke Kleintank is an American actor. He is known for playing Finn Abernathy on Bones, Tyler Harne in the 2015 film Max, Joe Blake in the Amazon series The Man in the High Castle, and as of 2021 FBI Special Agent Scott Forrester in CBS crime drama series FBI: International.

<i>Dolphin Tale</i> 2011 film by Charles Martin Smith

Dolphin Tale is a 2011 American 3D family drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith and written by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi. It stars Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehlsdorff in her film debut, and Morgan Freeman. The book and film are inspired by the true story of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin that was rescued in December 2005 off the Florida coast and taken in by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. In the film, Winter loses her tail after becoming entangled with a rope attached to a crab trap, and must be fitted with a prosthetic one in order to swim naturally again.

<i>Ted 2</i> 2015 film by Seth MacFarlane

Ted 2 is a 2015 American fantasy comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild. It is the sequel to Ted. The film follows the talking teddy bear Ted as he fights for his civil rights in order to be recognized as a person and not as property. The film also stars Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Jessica Barth, John Slattery, and Morgan Freeman.

<i>Blended</i> (film) 2014 American film

Blended is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Written by Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera, the film stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore as two single parents who went on a blind date together and never wanted to see each other again afterwards. To their surprise, they both end up at the same African safari resort with their children and are forced to stay together. The film's ensemble cast also features Bella Thorne, Emma Fuhrmann, Terry Crews, Joel McHale, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Kevin Nealon, and Shaquille O'Neal. South African cricketer Dale Steyn makes a cameo appearance as himself.

<i>American Sniper</i> 2014 biographical film

American Sniper is a 2014 American biographical war drama film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood and written and executive-produced by Jason Hall, loosely based on the memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (2012) by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The film follows the life of Kyle, who became the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history with 255 kills from four tours in the Iraq War, 160 of which were officially confirmed by the Department of Defense. While Kyle was celebrated for his military successes, his tours of duty took a heavy toll on his personal and family life. It stars Bradley Cooper as Kyle and Sienna Miller as his wife Taya, with Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban, and Keir O'Donnell in supporting roles.

<i>Sicario</i> (2015 film) Action thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve

Sicario is a 2015 American action thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve, written by Taylor Sheridan and starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin. The film follows a principled FBI special agent who is enlisted by a government task force to bring down the leader of a powerful and brutal Mexican drug cartel. Sicario was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. It began a limited release in the United States on September 18, 2015, followed by a nationwide release on October 2, 2015.

<i>King Arthur: Legend of the Sword</i> 2017 film directed by Guy Ritchie

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a 2017 epic fantasy action-adventure film directed by Guy Ritchie who co-wrote the film with Joby Harold and Lionel Wigram from a story by Harold and David Dobkin, inspired by Arthurian legends. The film stars Charlie Hunnam as the title character and Jude Law as the tyrannical king Vortigern who is attempting to kill him, with Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, and Eric Bana in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Wiggins</span> American actor (born 1998)

Josh Wiggins is an American actor, best known for his role of Jacob Wilson in the drama Hellion (2014), Justin Wincott in the adventure drama Max (2015) and Franky Winter in Giant Little Ones (2018).

<i>Game Night</i> (film) 2018 film by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein

Game Night is a 2018 American action comedy film directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and written by Mark Perez. It stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams and follows a group of friends whose game night turns into a real-life mystery after one of them is kidnapped. The film's supporting cast includes Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, and Kyle Chandler.

<i>The Goldfinch</i> (film) 2019 American film by John Crowley

The Goldfinch is a 2019 American drama film directed by John Crowley. It was written by Peter Straughan, who adapted the 2013 novel The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It stars Ansel Elgort as Theodore Decker, whose life changes after his mother dies in a terrorist bombing at a museum and a dying man convinces him to take a famous painting called The Goldfinch from the museum. Oakes Fegley, Aneurin Barnard, Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, and Nicole Kidman appear in supporting roles.

<i>The Mule</i> (2018 film) 2018 film directed by Clint Eastwood

The Mule is a 2018 American crime drama film starring and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also produced with Dan Friedkin, Jessica Meier, Tim Moore, Kristina Rivera, and Bradley Thomas. The screenplay, written by Nick Schenk, is based on the 2014 The New York Times article "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule" by Sam Dolnick, which recounts the story of Leo Sharp, a World War II veteran in his 80s who became a drug courier for the Sinaloa Cartel. Toby Keith contributed the theme song "Don't Let the Old Man In", which reached number 41 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart and became Keith's highest-charting single since "Drunk Americans" reached number 27 in early 2015.

References

  1. ↑ "MAX (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Pamela McClintock (June 24, 2015). "Box Office Preview: Can 'Ted 2' Top 'Jurassic World,' 'Inside Out'?". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Max (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ Staff Writers. "Going to Watch the Movie".
  5. ↑ "Meet the dog star who plays heroic 'Max'". USA TODAY. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 McNary, Dave (30 May 2014). "Dog Tale 'Max,' Starring Josh Wiggins, Fetches Jan. 30 Release Date". Variety. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "On The Set For 5/12/14: Eliza Dushku Starrer 'Eloise' Starts, Adam Carolla's 'Road Hard' Wraps". Studiosystemnews.com. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
  8. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (2015-03-03). "Warner Bros Shifts 'Max' To June; RLJ Entertainment Ups One Exec, Hires Another". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
  9. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro (June 24, 2015). "Potty-Mouth Bear & Military Dog To Brave 'Jurassic World', But Dinos Will Have Upper Claw – B.O. Preview". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ Anthony D. Alessandro (June 26, 2015). "'Ted 2′ Parties Thursday Night & Collects $2.6M; 'Max' Digs Up $500K". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  11. ↑ Keith Simanton (June 25, 2015). "'Jurassic' and 'Inside' Adjust 'Teds Weekend". Box Office Mojo . Amazon.com . Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ Keith Simanton (June 28, 2015). "'Jurassic' Holds Off Challengers". Box Office Mojo . Amazon.com . Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Max". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster. 26 June 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Max". Metacritic . Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  15. ↑ Vince Mancini (June 28, 2015). "Weekend Box Office: 'Jurassic World' Outgrossed 'Ted 2′ By $20 Million". Uproxx. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  16. ↑ MAX 2: White House Hero arrives on Digital HD May 9 and on Blu-ray and DVD May 23 from Warner Bros.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.