Meet the dog star who plays heroic 'Max'. A boy adopts his dead brother's military service dog. Despite some initial hiccups, the two bond and work together to figure out what caused the fallen Marine's death. Five Belgian Malinois dogs were required to shoot the canine adventure Max. But only one dog had the chops to take the lead role: a 3-year-old rebellious spirit named Carlos. Director Boaz Yakin says it was crucial to find a star pooch to headline the film (in theaters June 26).