The war film genre never gets old, as long as the story is engaging and well balanced with solid action sequences. And the “dog saves human life” genre, while often much more emotional, is also one that generally remains interesting, especially when tugging at the heartstrings. Mixing the two genres is a unique twist and, when based on a real story, theoretically should be the recipe for a feel good and patriotic flick. Then why is Megan Leavey such a lackluster and forgettable effort?
Megan Leavey is based on the true story of a young woman wandering aimlessly through life, disconnected from her nagging and disapproving mother. Megan feels inspired to sign up for the Marines, mostly to escape her life. She manages to make it through boot camp and, after an unfortunate run-in with the Military Police, finds herself doing duty in the K-9 division. Once there, she becomes fascinated by working with dogs and soon earns the trust of the commanding officer.
When Megan is finally accepted and assigned a dog, she is paired up with an aggressive and unruly German Shepherd named Rex. However, Megan soon relates to Rex, herself aggravated at the world around her. They form an intense bond while serving a tour of duty over in Iraq, ultimately saving countless lives. When they are injured in a fire fight, Megan is sent home to recover while Rex stays in Iraq. The story then unfolds into how Megan tried to work through the system to adopt Rex once his tour of duty was completed.
Megan Leavey should have been an emotional roller coaster of a film that made the viewer feel invested in the story, cheering for Megan and Rex as they battle impossible odds. However, the movie falls flat due mostly to the boring performance of Kate Mara (Fantastic Four). Mara lacks the emotional acting skills to lure the viewer into the story, becoming her champion as she battles against the system. Instead, you are left doubting the emotional connection between Megan and Rex. Mara simply does not have the range as an actress to pull it off. While Edie Falco (The Sopranos) has a few good scenes as Megan’s mother and Common is mildly entertaining as Gunny Martin, they are not enough to save this movie. Tom Felton (Harry Potter series) is also wasted in his role, barely recognizable.
Megan Leavey also suffers from a very boring script from Pamela Gray, Annie Mumulo (The Bridesmaids) and Tim Lovestedt. Sometimes, a biographical film has to add a few elements to help the story come to life. Apparently, they never got the memo. Also, the uninspiring direction of Gabriela Cowperthwaite doesn’t signal a bright career for this young filmmaker. When you are watching the film and feeling as if you are experiencing a poorly made Lifetime movie, you know you’re in trouble.
Somewhere in Megan Leavey there should have been an inspiring and patriotic film. Unfortunately, it never gets a chance to shine. It’s definitely a pass for the theater and I’m not even sure I can recommend this one for a rental a few months down the line. There are better choices out there.
