oluwolebankole I enjoyed the story this movie was trying to tell but I'm not sure why the makers felt the need to use sexuality in a pg movie. The open mouth kiss between two tweens didn't seem to add anything to the value of the movie, and did not seem appropriate for the target audience or the young actors for that matter. That aside, Hats off to our men and women in uniform, and their loyalty thru not only physically trying times, but also thru the many tempting times and difficult decisions they must face every day in battle. As far as pace, I felt the Movie was a little slow in parts. It picked up towards the middle/end though. They also did a great job keeping gore off the screen considering the movie was about war. Max's performance was stellar, I had to check myself during a dog fight scene or two because while rooting for the lead, I kept imagining ASPCA coming to my door. Not sure how they pulled those off but it was clever. All in all, great story line, slow pace to start but worth the patience to soak in the story, moral, and great dog acting.

Steven Ball This movie reminds us of the contribution dogs have made to the military effort & still do. Like the canines that assist local law enforcement, military canines provide an invaluable service. This movie about one such dog - Max - is well made and acted. The story centers on the bonding between one teenager & Max. Max has been traumatized by the war & the teenager played by Josh Wiggins has his own set of problems - together they come through it together. This movie might be too intense for younger audience but should appeal to teenagers. There is even a sub plot involving a coming of age romance. The parents played by Church & Graham are alternately strong & nurturing.

Prismark10 Max is a boy meet dog who has faced psychological trauma in a war zone film.Max is a sniffer dog in Afghanistan and his handler, Kyle is killed. Back in the USA, Max only seems to be friendly with Justin, Max's rebellious younger brother who is still at school and it is decided to leave him with Justin.Justin is reluctant at first but eventually both of them bond, however Kyle's former army buddy causes issues by implying that Max was somehow responsible for Max's death.Later Max and Justin find themselves going after some gangsters dealing with stolen weapons which ties back to Afghanistan but the police are after Max and want to put him to sleep because they have been passed on some false information about him.Kids will likely to enjoy this film. The plot is fast and loose with plenty of plot holes and descends into silliness at the end which will make adults just shrug as it is so clunky.It is also very manipulative by allying itself closely with the military and the stars and stripes which it reckons the audience will uncritically lap up. If it wanted to seriously examine the role of military war dogs and the impact war has on them it is a big fail.Worse still some of the cast are left foundering and the normally reliable Thomas Haden Church gives a pedestrian performance as the dad.

Bob Rutzel Ray Wincott (Thomas Hayden Church) and family decide to take care of a very troubled Max, the canine war dog of their son, Kyle (Robbie Amell) who was killed in Afghanistan. Max takes an instant liking to Kyle's brother Justin (Josh Wiggins), who wants nothing to do with the dog. In time Justin will learn more about life and responsibility. This is not a true story but it is dedicated to the memory of 26 Handlers and 25 dogs killed since 2003 as a statement at the end will confirm. This will give all of us more of an appreciation of what these trainers and handlers do to get the dogs to perform the way they do. There will be some moments you will need a box of Kleenex nearby.Tyler (Luke Kleintank) was a soldier in arms with Kyle and visits the family. When Max sees Tyler, the dog becomes highly agitated. Later we will learn why. Justin discovers that Tyler is involved in gun running for a Mexican crime outfit. Tyler warns Justin to keep his mouth shut, and Justin knows his family will be in danger if he says anything. When Ray is kidnapped everything changes. The dog fights seem too real when Max goes against some Pitt Bulls.The photography and editing for the chases in the woods on bicycles is spot on. The dog in here is amazing and is so smart you almost expect him to talk. (7/10)Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.