Max offers a solid story line filled with plenty of ethos, sure to pull on the heart strings of many. The execution of this story and not the story itself is where I found major holes. The film was flawed in more ways than one. Let me explain.
Having seen previews, many of you already know the plot of the film. A soldier, Kyle Wincott passes away (SPOILER ALERT) and his brother, Justin is meant to adopt his war dog, as he will cooperate for nobody else. In the midst, a military brother and lifelong friend named Tyler, played by Luke Kleintank, disrupts this mourning by illegally selling war weapons. That being said, there is not much time for the audience to develop any relationship with Kyle before he is killed overseas. This has a slight domino effect on feeling a connection with the dog, Max, and even with comprehension of how Justin is processing the loss. Had we gotten to know Kyle a bit more, we would have felt the devastation that his family felt.
It seems like huge game changers happen rather quickly in the film, but the small sides stories have an overdose of screen time. These side stories lack substance and only scratch the surface of these other emotional struggles and life encounters. Taking a step back, Max seems more like a made-for-TV movie due to how the plot is developed and unfortunately, the background music. This soundtrack overpowers what was happening on screen, which creates a whimsical tone and lack of credibility. Max and Homeward Bound carry a familiar sound.
As a huge fan of Lauren Graham, she also seems to fall short as the mother, Pamela Wincott. Her relationship with Ray Wincott, played by Thomas Haden Church is not at all convincing. They didn't have any chemistry and the 7 year age difference for Graham and Church feels like a much larger, awkward gap. Face it, Graham's a MILF, and Church should be so lucky. Justin's friends, Carmen and Chuy played by Mia Xitlali and Dejon LaQuake only contribute to the made-for-TV move or ABC Family movie feel. That aside, I do have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of Xitlali.
Overall, the movie just seems like a miss for me. The intentions of the film were definitely there, but the screen translation missed the mark. Expect to leave this film not knowing how to describe your experience or being able to 'put your finger on' what is missing
On a side note, Max the dog did a wonderful job. Woof, woof, high paw!
No comments:
Post a Comment