Underplayed Gems

Max Steel (2016)

Max Steel poster
Directed by
Stewart Hendler
Genre
action film, adventure film, science fiction film, superhero film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 28m
Rated
PG-13
Rating
5.6 of 10 from 854 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A teenager discovers he can merge with an alien companion to become a superhero. Together they face threats and learn to control their combined powers.

fast-pacedteenflashylightheartedheroicaction-packedformulaic

What happens

Max Steel is a 2016 superhero film based on the eponymous action-figure line by Mattel, which was co-produced by its Playground Productions division with Dolphin Films and Ingenious Media. Open Road Films released the film theatrically on October 14, 2016 in the United States while IM Global handled its European and Asian distribution. Directed by Stewart Hendler and written by Christopher Yost, the film stars Ben Winchell, Josh Brener, Ana Villafañe, Andy García, Maria Bello, and Billy Slaughter. It chronicles the adventures of teenaged Max McGrath (Winchell) and alien companion Steel (Brener), who combine their powers to form the superhero Max Steel. Filming began on April 29, 2014, in Wilmington, North Carolina and concluded in late May 2014. Max Steel was panned by critics, who dismissed it as generic, unoriginal and forgettable, while also criticizing the character development, performances, and visual effects. The film was also a box-office bomb, grossing $6.3 million globally and overall against a budget of $10 million. Max Steel figures appear in the 2026 film Masters of the Universe. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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