In this age of blockbuster superhero adaptations like Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, it’s refreshing to see a movie in the genre with a little more modest ambitions. Enter Max Steel, an adaptation of the same-named Disney XD show aimed squarely at the tween/early teen demographic. The flick follows a teen whose extraordinary abilities begin to manifest themselves during puberty. With the help of an alien lifeform, he transforms into a superhero named Max Steel and quickly becomes the world’s last hope against forces of incredible power.
Today, a new set of images and in-depth synopsis for Max Steel have hit the web, and you can check out both below. I’m liking what I’ve seen from this project thus far, and the cast, led by Ben Winchell, Andy Garcia, Maria Bello and Ana Villafañe, is just one more reason to be optimistic for it. The film, directed by Stewart Hendler (Sorority Row) and penned by Christopher Yost (Thor: The Dark World), is currently without a release date, but Open Road is planning to push Max Steel into theaters at some point in 2015.
Max Steel is an in-depth “origin” story packed with captivating characters and fast-paced action. The plot chronicles the adventures of Max McGrath and his mother have just moved back to Copper Canyon, the town in which Max’s scientist father died in a mysterious accident shortly after Max was born. As Max adjusts to his new school, things get complicated when his body starts to generate strange energy flare-ups that he can’t control.
At first a confusing mix of inconvenient and exhilarating, this unpredictable power eventually grows too intense for Max to handle, causing him to distance himself from those around him including the girl he likes, Sofia. Eventually the energy pushes him to the verge of fatal combustion. In the nick of time, a techno-organic extraterrestrial named Steel, who has been secretly monitoring Max’s progress, saves him just before he loses consciousness. The two discover that when joined together they can control the energy and harness it into superhuman strength – and that when apart, neither can survive for long.
As these two unlikely friends learn to accept their connected fates, they begin to uncover secrets surrounding the death of Max’s father. As they dig deeper, they soon find themselves hunted by an unforeseen enemy bent on capturing Max and Steel for a sinister agenda of destruction. Uncertain who to trust, they will have to work together to find the truth, and fight the mysterious forces threatening our world.
