Max Steel

Max Steel is a 2016 action and science fiction film about a teenage boy who moves to a new town with his mother and discovers that his body can generate an unusually powerful form of energy he cannot yet control. A techno-organic alien named Steel, who has been watching him, becomes his partner; by joining forces the two can manage and combine their abilities, taking on the identity of the superhero Max Steel. Their power draws the attention of outside forces who want it for themselves, and the pair must contend with a threat connected to Max's late father.

The film was directed by Stewart Hendler, following his earlier features Whisper and Sorority Row, from a screenplay by Christopher L. Yost. Ben Winchell plays Max McGrath, with Josh Brener voicing Steel, Maria Bello as Max's mother Molly, Ana Villafañe as Sofia Martinez, Andy García as Dr. Miles Edwards and Mike Doyle as Jim McGrath. It was produced by Julia Pistor, David Grace and Bill O'Dowd, and stems from the Mattel toy line and animated series of the same name, moving the property into live action.

Made for a modest 10 million dollars, the film returned about 6 million worldwide, a fraction of its cost. Audiences were unenthusiastic: on IMDb it holds 4.6 out of 10 from roughly 22,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.5 out of 10 from a much smaller pool of around 873. A critics' rating of 2.9 out of 10 from 21 reviews places it below even the modest audience scores.