For your model to be black , that means you have to open up the UV editor and select your object.

The uv will pop into the viewer, and under the Textures rollout in the UV Editor it should show you a texture file you need to click and asign the texture to it. That is assuming you have the textures imported with the file.

Where is the original file coming from? I use to work at Autodesk as a QA for both the Max and Maya teams .

So I know the software for Max to Maya workflow rather well.

Post any screen grabs as well , we can get ou up and running.

The circles sound like they are part of the control rig .

When importing sometimes Maya will make the joints and controls to big.