And for about 15 percent of the film, that's what we see. The movie's director and screenwriter, Boaz Yakin, has said that he wanted to make a film about military working dogs (MWDs), their role in the recent wars America has waged, and the impact of those wars on the dogs. Max is American Sniper reimagined through the eyes of a dog Instead of a heart-warming tale about a superhuman dog - which is really what everyone is here for - it becomes something that resembles a Red State fever dream, full of pro-war sentiment that will make you wish it would disintegrate into a bowl of pixel stew. Unfortunately, his words linger and ultimately resonate, as there are points when this strange film devolves into political incoherence. It's a clear invite for moviegoers to counter that dog movies, especially those involving canines as adorable and acrobatic as Max, are actually much more glorious than Ray describes. "We're just an ocean of pixels in a dog's eyes," Ray tells his wife, Pamela ( Lauren Graham), during the film's jagged opening. Together, Justin and Max navigate Justin's puberty, Max's PTSD, Justin's relationship with his grumpy father, Ray ( Thomas Haden Church), various encounters with Taliban arms dealers, and the dealings of a Mexican drug cartel that operates in the shadows of a Texas suburb. Justin's better-looking and better-liked brother Kyle ( Robbie Amell) was Max's human partner in the Marines, and Justin presumably smells like his brother, so he is able to earn Max's trust after Kyle dies in combat. Max (who's played by a dog named Carlos) is a Belgian Malinois - a breed of dog that looks somewhat like a German Shepard but appears to be more agile and nimble - and he and Justin are bound together by fate and smell. "To create genuine emotion in a dog's performance, that's huge.That is the baseline premise for Max, a bizarre, beguiling "family" movie about an incredible canine war veteran with PTSD who's tethered to a petulant, pinch-faced tween named Justin ( Josh Wiggins). "That scene is the high point of dog acting in the movie," Yakin says. The complicated shoots required Max to cower in his cage dramatically before recovering. The topper was a scene performed by Carlos and Jagger, in which Max has a panic attack during a fireworks display. But a lot of times, the things Carlos did wrong were so interesting they got in the movie."
But when we'd start shooting, he'd do something else," Yakin says.
"Carlos would do everything right in rehearsal. Like a true Hollywood star, Carlos performed brilliantly even while acting up on the set. The dogs prepped three months for the North Carolina shoot, nailing tricks such as fake lunging at people or climbing walls. Pax was used for running shots and "happens to be good at showing his teeth," says Mathlide de Cagny of Birds & Animals Unlimited, who trained the dogs with O.J. Dude specialized in jumping, Pilot in knocking people down and play-fighting. When you see Max onscreen, 80% of the time it's Carlos."įour other Belgian Malinois dogs had their facial features carefully dyed to resemble and assist, each one with his own specialty. But (the trainers) felt they could work with him," Yakin says. "The only problem was that Carlos was very temperamental. He stood out with his unique light face markings, focused personality and "true charisma," Yakin says. "It would be like acting with sunglasses on."Īnimal coordinator Mark Forbes found Carlos, named after Vietnam War sniper Carlos Hathcock, on a Kentucky farm after a nationwide search.
"The eyes are where the emotions are," Yakin says. When it comes to filmmaking, though, the problem is that the breed often features black eye markings not conducive to the camera. Yakin knew his fictional tale of a military service dog in war-torn Afghanistan, despondent after the death of his Marine handler, would ring true with the highly intelligent Belgian Malinois breed increasingly used by the military and police. "Fortunately, Carlos has pure star quality." "Without the right dog at the center, the whole movie just falls apart," Yakin says. But only one dog had the chops to take the lead role: a 3-year-old rebellious spirit named Carlos.ĭirector Boaz Yakin says it was crucial to find a star pooch to headline the film (in theaters June 26). Five Belgian Malinois dogs were required to shoot the canine adventure Max.