ViewGuide

Created Jun 25, 2017 09:22PM PST • Edited Aug 25, 2018 02:31AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   This is a damn good Iraq War movie, apolitical and told through the eyes of Marines who walked through the sands of hell. Plus, it’s a great Marine Corps movie overall. So why did it flame out at the theaters?

   Start with the bad title. Megan Leavey is easy to say once you hear it, but is kinda confusing to read.
   Plus it doesn’t sell the movie at all. Then there’s the poor poster, another nail in the coffin.

   Bad marketing aside, the Hollywood’ized story of Megan Leavey – a real-life Marine – and her combat dog Rex is affecting and pretty fascinating. That last stems from the inside look into the world of combat dogs in the modern American military.

   Oddly, the dog handling scenes don’t ring quite right, with Kate Mara’s Megan Leavey frequently raising her voice to Rex, using inconsistent language and generally making the rookie mistake of treating the dog like a person. One suspects Hollywood’ization in those scenes.

   Now, as a pure Marine movie, Megan Leavey deserves an OO-RAH, at least according to this lifelong civilian. Kinda what Lone Survivor is to the SEALs, Megan Leavey is to the Marines, in terms of providing insight into what it takes to become a Marine and be a Marine. OO-RAH!

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   Kate Mara is oddly unaffecting as Megan Leavey, the small town girl who became a Marine K9 handler. Perhaps this is how Leavey is in real life, or perhaps Mara can’t carry a movie.

   Marines

   • Common is terrific as the Gunny who is Leavey’s immediate superior. The Corps should turn his performance into a recruitment video.
   • Ramon Rodriguez jumps offscreen as Megan Leavey’s love interest. Rodriguez has star power.
   • Tom Felton as another K9 veteran.
   • Geraldine James plays an apparently heartless Marine Corps veterinarian.
   • Corey Johnson’s Master Sergeant delivers an ass-chewing so righteous, it made me want to enlist.

   Family

   • Edie Falco steals every scene she’s in as Megan’s mom, Jackie Leavey. Falco is a star!
   • Bradley Whitford is always great. Always.

   Dogs

   • Rex is uncredited.

5. Male Stars Very Good 3.5

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play Very Good 3.5

13. Music Very Good 3.5

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.1

17. Sex Titillating 1.7

18. Violence Brutal 2.7

19. Rudeness Salty 1.8

21. Reality

    Glib 1.3

    Megan Leavey spices up its heroine’s life beyond what really happened, plus the dog handling scenes don’t seem right, as noted in the Summary commentary above. OTOH, it seemingly plays it straight with the Iraq War, which Hollywood generally refuses to do. So bully for that!

    History vs. Hollywood on Megan Leavey

22. Circumstantial Glib 2.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0