"SPACE BUDDIES"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Bill Fagerbakke as PI Kevin Weisman as DR. FINKEL Lochlyn Munro as SLATS BENTLEY Ali Hillis as ASTRO SPALDING Pat Finn as BILL WOLFSON Nolan Gould as SAM Wayne Wilderson as TAD THOMPSON Diedrich Bader as YURI Rated G Studio: Disney Directed by: Robert Vince Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Continuing the traditions of Disney dogs and the Air Bud series, the adorable Air Buddies are back in a new adventure. This time, the golden retriever puppies are reaching for the stars when they stow away on a space shuttle and launch for a trip to the moon. They join forces with a cosmonaut and his dog Spudnick, along with a ferret named Gravity, to thwart the sabotage plan of one of the scientists back on Earth.
WHAT I LIKED
I am part of the “Star Wars” generation, so it’s not completely unfamiliar for me to see a popular series sent into space. This happened to everything from Looney Tunes to Garfield when I was a kid. I was a bit skeptical about the Buddies new mission, but after watching it, I found it to be the best Buddies film yet.
The earlier Buddies films – “Air Buddies” and “Snow Buddies” – seemed a little forced. But with a relatively stock plot about stowaways on a spaceship, things worked out. There was no need to shoehorn a dognapping plot or a faux Iditarod race to make things work. Plus, putting the Buddies in space suits, with the obvious fart jokes from Budderball, this movie was a joy for my kids to watch.
In addition to the cute dogs, which really take center stage as the heroes in this film, the human cast was also pretty funny. Diedrich Bader plays the crazy Russian with a passion that I wouldn’t expect from a direct-to-DVD kids’ film. Other solid performances by the humans come from “Alias” alum Kevin Weisman as Dr. Finkel and Ali Hillis as the dogs’ connection to mission control.
The value of a film like “Space Buddies” isn’t whether you can watch it and enjoy it with your wife or date. It’s whether you can watch it and enjoy it with your kids. And the answer to this question is a resounding yes.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
What anyone’s going to complain about this movie is exactly what you’d expect from a “Buddies” film. Sure, it’s juvenile at times. That’s to be expected since it’s a kids’ movie. Sure, the plot’s rather simple, and the story wraps up a bit too conveniently. Also to be expected considering kids’ movies need to have that simplicity. Sure, it’s got some crass humor and fart jokes. Again, to be expected since we’ve seen that in the previous films, and it’s a movie about dogs. If the family can’t watch a dog break wind once or twice during family movie night, what is this world coming to?
DVD FEATURES
The “Space Buddies” DVD comes with a slate of “Buddy Bloopers,” which are actually contrived with the Buddies doing the voice over but still pretty cute. There’s also an Alyson Stoner music video for “Dancing in the Moonlight.” Finally, the Backstage Disney feature includes an installment of the Disneypedia: “The Buddies’ Guide to Space Travel as well a “Buddy Facts” mode which includes pop-up trivia during the movie.
Also, the DVD contains a special mail-in offer to get two plush “Buddies” with the purchase of this DVD and the Disney classic “Oliver & Company.”
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Kids who like farting dogs... in space.
