Sergente Rex

Although I have gotten emotional over films with dogs as a central part of the film before, Megan Leavey is the first canine centric film I've watched since I became a dog owner myself, and it became an extremely moving experience.

There's no denying an impact a dog can have on someone's life. For Corporal Megan Leavey, it was the military K-9 German Shepherd, Rex, who changed her life. The film covers many years of Leavey's time as a K-9 officer with Rex as they save lives uncovering bombs and other dangerous explosives. There are some typical military sequences that set up Leavey as a sort of, mess-up and misplaced character, but for the most part, the film is a unique and inspired take on one section of the military.

Complemented by a solid supporting cast, the real heroes here are Leavey and Rex. Like any great relationship, there are ups and downs. But there are a few indicators that the bond they share isn't something that can be easily quantified, and that made it truly special. Sometimes people are made for each other and sometimes certain dogs are made for certain people. It's just the way it is.

Kate Mara plays Leavey brilliantly, as she so often does with characters. She's one of these under the radar actresses who always seems to bring their A-game. And if not for the fact that I was looking for a movie about a dog, I probably would have forgotten about watching these trailers last summer. The film itself flew under the radar, but I'm sure glad I checked it out.

8.8/10

Part way through I began to feel the story was a bit slow moving, maybe a little flat. I realized this is not an indictment of the film, but of Americans' movie going habits. Everything these days is a blockbuster - LOTS of action, tons of special effects, one- dimensional super hero characters. Megan Leavey is a quiet, understated film about real life and real people, and they are not always pleasant, exciting or interesting. If you like your war heroes shiny, perfect and larger than life - this film will not be for you. Megan Leavey is about a flawed, troubled, not very likable young woman who joins the Marines with no heroic idealism - she is just looking for an escape from her miserable life - made so very much by her own doing. And Rex is not Lassie. There is no instant, feel-good bond between a girl and her dog. Rather, the story illustrates the importance of showing up - taking one step at a time, and that with hard work and patience - redemption and second chances are possible. Not an easy feel-good film but worth the effort, as is true of most important things in life.

This weekend is certainly a mixed bag of movies from adventure/fantasy to horror/mystery. So why not throw in a military/biographical/drama into the fray as well, this time portraying a different, and more realistic, female super hero. If you are reading past my confusing opening, (and the title of this review), you know I'm talking about Megan Leavey. With leash, and gun, in hand, this movie is the chronicle of her walk into the life of a hero and the struggles she had to climb over to succeed. What's the verdict? You'll have to read on to find out!

LIKES:

Acting: Kate Mara was a fantastic pick for the lead of this movie. Based on Leavey's history (from the little research I've done), Mara was able to play the emotional rainbow required of this complicated role. The angst of a rebellious young adult is perfectly portrayed, with enough saucy edge to keep things spicy, while only going over the line occasionally. Yet, the real portrayal of her talents is her acting of honor, valor, and trauma that comes with being a real-life hero. You'll feel all the emotional turmoil, or in some cases lack of emotional turmoil, associated with marine life and the sense of duty before self. Many audience members became entangled in all the feelings of the movie, captivating them in the story.

Good Pace: We know that many military dramas are a little long winded, whether in build up or the tail end of the spectrum. Not the case for Megan Leavey. This movie keeps things moving quite well, blending excitement, suspense, and character development in a decently condensed time. The training portion of the movie is funny and heartwarming as bond between dog and human is formed, adequately building what will be the key foundation for the rest of the movie. Once the exciting deployment begins, the tension only surmounts and keeps one further fastened into the movie, constantly reeled in with each ticking minute as they perform their duty. It's engaging! It's exciting! And it is real!

The Dog: Let's face it though, the best part of this movie for most is going to be getting to see the dog or dogs trained to sniff out bombs. Megan Leavey may be a tale about a woman transforming into a hero, but the director also does extraordinary work with the developing the dog's status as a warrior itself. Watching Rex perform all the duties required of him is awesome, feeling like a human actor himself rather than a four-legged accessory. If you think Mara is the emotional lure in the film, then yes you are correct, but that would make Rex the lighthouse of emotions drawing you more into the flame of this movie. Watching Rex with the consistent worry that something will happen is the true suspense of this movie, I myself silently praying he would make it home alive.

DISLIKES:

Movie magic drama: We know that when it comes to describing drama, many films can exaggerate the truth. While I'm not certain how tough Megan's life was, this movie had many moments and characters that felt a little overdramatic to me. I'm not talking about the war aspect, we know that's hell. No, the real overacted moments come in the form of her family life, primarily the interaction with her mom. Eye-rolling moments aside, fans who like these overzealous characters are in for a treat, but it hit some nerves and took away from the movie.

The Final Act: Megan Leavey's film is split into three parts for me and the first two parts are epically put together to keep the film exciting. The third part however, is more on the slower side and not the area I would have spent a great deal of time on. I can't say much without ruining things, but here it goes. This finale is certainly emotional, well designed, and a fine example of character development. However, the pace changes at this part, doesn't focus on the chemistry I fell in love with. Yes, it's emotional, and the parts are well put together, I just wanted a little more time with the dog and woman.

Theater Worthy?: This is a tough component because there is a lot about this movie I like. However, I can't say the movie was really something that needed to be in theaters. With few special effects and stunts, and a story that, while touching, isn't an epic, adventure/book like drama that Hollywood theaters have captured. Instead, this movie would have been solid on the History Channel or a Netflix original movie where you could enjoy it in the comfort of your own home. So, don't behead me people, I'm just trying to save you some money to maximize the quality of the film.

The VERDICT:

Megan Leavey is one of the better military drams I've seen in a while. A fantastic chemistry between man and dog uniting to portray the honor of military service is a leading factor to see this movie. With emotional sequences captured by beautiful cinematography and epic acting, you'll find this at the top of a lot of drama loving lists. Yet, it still lacks some finesse in terms of perfect pace and even more lacks the theater quality effects that make the expensive ticket worthwhile, unless you get the discount show. Still it is a movie worth checking out when you can, to pay tribute to an honorable woman, her dog, and the heroes that are our military.

Biography/Drama/War: 8.5 Movie Overall: 6.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Allowing Military dogs to retire with their trainer, especially when such a bond has formed, is something many have fought for. If you haven't seen Dog yet, you'll enjoy that film, too. I wasn't aware of Leavey's story before and I'm glad I stumbled upon this gem. And be warned, there is some very realistic Iraq scenes. But I wonder why Mara was cast as Leavey with a full 12 inch difference between the actress and the real thing. It feels very sexist. And honestly, I initially thought it was the same actress that plays Starlight in The Boys, which really threw me.

I know a few military dogs and I happen to know they can drag you through a car wash without batting an eye. There's no way someone 5'2, 110 lbs would have been given an 85 lb out of control German Shepherd. That part of the film is so unbelievable unless you know that Leavey is actually 6'2 and probably more like 175 lbs. I also find it extremely difficult to believe that someone training to be a handler would have to learn literally in the field that you can not reveal the name of your dog to the locals -- it's one of the well-known ways insurgents attempt to kill or capture a bomb-sniffing dog. True Marine training is very precise and focused -- are they saying these jokers forgot to tell her or that she was too preoccupied to pay attention? There's a lot we won't know for sure, but even the Army has that on a check-list, not an afterthought in the field.

I like that the film really focused on that relationship but felt a little cheated that we didn't get a sense of the passage of time. She goes from Boot to Corporal without any mention, and the film acts as though she fell off the recruit bus and started cleaning stalls. Actually, she completed 2 trainings before choosing to go to the K9 training camp, and the bombing took place on their 2nd tour in Iraq.

I also dislike that the film calls the dog 'real sick' when he simply had some facial numbness, apparently from his injuries from the bomb, that prevented him from continuing to serve in the Military. However, a little research reveals that once Megan adopted Rex, they worked as a bomb-sniffing team in NY. They also fail to mention that the reason Leavey was not able to be given Rex's location during their long separation was because he was on POTUS detail.

Overall, a heartwarming film that's worth the watch. But if you're like me and you know way too much was left out, just do a little research.

As a side note, any review that starts with a synopsis of the film gets a dislike from me. I don't come here to re-read an outline of the story 30 times. We just want to know what you thought of the film. We already know the actors and read the synopsis, if not already saw the film.

This film tells the story of a young female Marine in the United States, who trains and works with a war dog that detects explosives. They work together as a great team, successfully completing many missions. When they get injured during a mission, she fights to adopt him as a pet dog so that the dog does not get put to sleep.

"Megan Leavey" tells a story of a great bond between a woman and a dog that are both very courageous.They have been through so much that it is easy to see why their bond is so particularly strong. The patriotic elements also make the film particularly likable for American viewers. It celebrates a special and intense bond between the female soldier and the war dog, and also celebrates love, courage and war efforts.