Max Steel

Released in 2016, Max Steel brings the Mattel action figure franchise to the big screen. Directed by Stewart Hendler and written by Christopher L. Yost, the film stars Ben Winchell as Max McGrath, a teenager who discovers he can generate a volatile energy called T.U.R.B.O. That power is too much for him to handle alone, so he teams up with Steel, a wisecracking alien robot voiced by Josh Brener. Together, they merge into the superhero Max Steel.

The production came from Dolphin Entertainment, Ingenious Media, and Mattel Playground Productions, with a reported budget of $10 million. Open Road Films distributed it in the United States. Despite featuring Andy García and Maria Bello, the film struggled critically and commercially. It holds a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed only about $6.3 million worldwide. The movie was not screened for critics before release, a sign of the studio's low confidence. It was intended to launch a franchise, but those plans never materialized. [edit]

Sixteen-year-old Max McGrath returns with his widowed mother, Molly, to Copper Canyon, the town where his scientist father, Jim, died in an accident. Almost immediately, Max feels out of place. He keeps hearing that his father was special, especially from Dr. Miles Edwards, a former colleague. Then strange things start happening. Max's hands begin emitting a liquid-like energy, and a quick internet search for the phenomenon turns up nothing useful.

While adjusting to his new life, Max meets Sofia Martinez, a local girl who nearly runs him over with her truck. They hit it off, though Max keeps disappearing as his powers demand attention. One day, a small, one-eyed floating robot appears. It calls itself Steel and claims to be a silicon-based lifeform that escaped from a lab. Steel explains that Max's energy is T.U.R.B.O., the most powerful force in the universe, and that Max cannot control it alone. When they merge, they become Max Steel, a hero with super strength, speed, and energy blasts.

The duo faces a threat from another galaxy, but the real danger may be closer to home. Dr. Edwards seems helpful, but he has his own agenda. Max must uncover the truth about his father's death and the source of his powers while balancing his relationships with Molly and Sofia. The story builds toward a confrontation that reveals hidden connections and sets up a larger conflict.[edit]