Max very well might be this generation's Rin Tin Tin, both are German Shepherds and both are the heroes of their respective stories. The titular Max starts out as a military dog in Afghanistan, but when his military handler dies, he returns to the States with dog PTSD to be cared for by the handler's family in Texas, and in particular their teenage son, Justin, who Max bonds with. This is a classic boy and dog story with a military angle to it that helps to differentiate it from the rest of the pack, with Justin and Max eventually embarking upon an adventure of sorts that requires all of Max's incomparable skills to save the day. This is the kind of family movie that isn't made anymore, it's clean cut and old-fashioned, and while it has some plot holes, there aren't many movies that you can take the whole family to anymore and that's why Max is special.

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.

Kyle (Robbie Amell) is a Marine dog handler in Afghanistan. Following his death, through a series of improbable events, Kyle's brother Justin (Josh Wiggins) gets to keep the dog that only likes him. Justin's father (Thomas Haden Church) is a hard-nose man. Carmen (Mia Xitlali) is the new girl in town who knows something about dogs. Tyler (Luke Kleintank) is a war buddy of Kyle who is not on the up and up.

The plot is simple, straight forward, and improbable. It is a family film about a boy and his dog. No Old Yeller endings. Film has some "intense" scenes involving fighting, killing, and dog fights...otherwise a great film for the family.