Man's Best Friend (1993)

Man's Best Friend is a 1993 American horror comedy film, directed and written by John Lafia. It stars Ally Sheedy, Lance Henriksen and Robert Costanzo. It follows a genetically modified dog that turns from man's best friend into a worst nightmare as it attacks everything that moves.

Plot
Judy Sanders, an employee of a genetic research facility named EMAX, contacts television personality Lori Tanner, planning to meet after work so she can show Lori the atrocities and animal cruelty that go on in EMAX's laboratories. As she proceeds back to work, an animal assailant attacks and kills her before being sedated by Dr. Jarret, a scientist performing vivisection and genetic altering and the owner of EMAX. Later, Lori arrives at EMAX, breaks into the laboratory, films the various animals that are being experimented on, and frees a Tibetan Mastiff named Max before escaping with him. Jarret immediately goes to the police and reports that his dog has been stolen. Later that day, a mugger steals Lori's purse, but Max chases the thief, brutally kills him, and retrieves the purse.

Unaware that Max killed the mugger, Lori develops a bond with him, much to the disapproval of her boyfriend Perry, who insists Max must stay in the backyard. However, Max can understand human conversations and becomes protective of Lori. Dr. Jarret is questioned by the police about Max and reveals that Max is a genetically altered dog, spliced with the DNA of various other animals such as big cats, snakes, chameleons, and birds of prey, giving him enhanced strength, speed, and senses. Max is also prone to violent rages, and Jarrett regularly gives him a drug to keep him relaxed, but he fears that it won't be long before the effects of the drug wear off.

Max acts loyal, obedient, and lovable to Lori, but when her back is turned, he starts wreaking havoc in the neighborhood, terrorizing some local children (though he seems all right with Lori's young neighbor Rudy), devouring a cat, destroying the brake lines in Perry's truck, mating with Rudy's collie Heidi, and murdering a mail man. All of these incidents go unnoticed by Lori. Realizing Max is trying to kill him, Perry tries to poison Max, but Max smells the poison in the meat and chases Perry out of the house. After Perry escapes in his truck, Max eats Lori's talking pet parrot and flushes the poisoned meat down the toilet.

Noticing Perry's animosity towards their new dog, Lori decides to find Max a new home. She takes him to a junkyard and leaves him with the owner Ray, who assures her that Max will be taken to a ranch in a few days. However, when Lori leaves, Ray chains Max to the wall and beats him with a shovel to end his barking. When Max regains consciousness and pulls loose from his chain, Ray burns his face with a blow torch but is quickly overpowered and killed. Max, now severely scarred, leaves the junkyard and makes his way back to Lori's house. The police, after discovering the dead mugger and having Dr. Jarret clarify that it was Max who killed him, now intend to stop Max at any cost. By the time Max returns to Lori's, Perry has replaced him with a new puppy named Spike. Max, feeling betrayed, burns Perry's face off with acidic urine and attacks Lori before the police arrive. Max then flees the house and evades the cops and an animal control unit by utilizing his genetic gifts.

As an ambulance takes Perry away, the police demand Lori's help to catch Max and wait for him. Max returns and kills the officers watching the house, which Lori soon discovers. In an attempt to get him back, Jarret kidnaps Lori and Spike in hopes that Max will follow them to the EMAX building, which he does. In the laboratory where she first discovered him, Max relinquishes his aggressive, homicidal nature and begins to kiss Lori's hand. Jarret shoots Max with a shotgun before being knocked onto a large electrical cage, which kills him. Lori pets Max's head as he dies.

Three months later, Rudy's collie has given birth to puppies, most of which look like their mother, with the one exception being a small black puppy that resembles Max.

Cast

 * Ally Sheedy as Lori Tanner, a TV personality who becomes Max's adoptive owner.
 * Lance Henriksen as Dr. Jarret, a scientist at EMAX who is Max's original owner, tormentor, and arch-nemesis.
 * Robert Costanzo as Detective Frankie Kovacs, a detective who investigates Max.
 * Fredric Lehne as Perry, Lori's boyfriend and Max's arch-rival. Max's second tormentor and near victim.
 * John Cassini as Detective Emilio Bendetti, a detective who investigates Max
 * J.D. Daniels as Rudy, Lori's young next-door neighbor.
 * William Sanderson as Ray, a junkyard operator, Max's fifth tormentor and victim.
 * Trula M. Marcus as Annie
 * Robin Frates as Judy Sanders, an employee at EMAX who is killed by Max.
 * Frank Welker as the vocal effects of Max, a genetically altered Tibetan Mastiff and also Ed, a parrot owned by Perry.
 * Rick Barker as Mailman, Max's fourth tormentor and victim.
 * Mickey Cassidy as Paperboy, Max's third tormentor.
 * Thomas Rosales, Jr. as Mugger, a man who robs Lori and becomes Max's second victim.

Production
At least five different dogs were used in filming. Kevin Yagher built the Max puppets as well as created the make-up special effects.

Release
Man's Best Friend was released in 1220 theaters on the Thanksgiving weekend of November 19, 1993. It opened at fifth place in the box office with $5 million.

Reception
Man's Best Friend currently has a 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times, noted that while "cynical and shallow", the film was "polished in all aspects". Despite this, Ally Sheedy was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actress. Film critic Leonard Maltin gave it a moderately positive two-and-a-half-star review, calling it "derivative, but fun."