Review of Max (2016) by Akiko A — 27 Jun 2015

I went to see 'Max' and in the first fifteen minutes was tearing up. It is a wonderful film about a military trained dog and his bond with his master, friend Kyle Wincott who is stationed in Afghanistan with Kyle doing a double shift scouting out weapons being sold to the enemy.

A controversy develops when Kyle is brought in for questioning about missing weapons from the raids. The person who is his best friend his whole life, is the one stealing the guns. Kyle threatens to expose Tyler unless he stops.

..and when they are on their next mission, Kyle doesn't make it home leaving Max behind. After Kyle's death, Max's life is in jeopardy as he is no longer trainable after what happened to Kyle.

Kyle's family adopts Max when they realize Kyle's younger brother Justin Wincott bonds with the dog. Justin is a irresponsible teen selling ripped digital content to a guy named Emilio. The Wincott's decide to make Justin responsible for Max in the hopes he would stop playing video games all day.

As Justin & Max bond, Justin makes a discovery about Kyle's friend Tyler after Tyler lies about Max. It sets a dangerous situation in motion that puts the Wincott's in the middle of the crosshairs of trouble revealing a secret about Kyle's death & the what Tyler is really doing.

This an action adventure thriller movie paying tribute to the dogs who stand by humans in harms way to defend humans from the the danger, many of the dogs die saving lives in war zones. The adjustment Max makes when he is home with Justin reminds us of how veterans who return to our country misunderstood and suffering from the wounds of war.

..and somehow they find strength to adapt. Max is a great film for dog owners & for those who love a story about family, loss, and the furry critter who stands beside us.