Air Buddies
Editorial review of Air Buddies courtesy of Amazon.com
The canine star of Air Bud and its host of sequels is on the screen again, but this time Buddy, his girlfriend Molly, and their human owners Noah and Henry have their hands and paws full with a litter of five mischievous puppies that talk. From Budderball who’s obsessed with food to the meditating Bud-Dha and the dirt-loving Mudbud, each of the puppies is as unique as a sibling can be. When it comes time to adopt the young puppies into new families, humans and dogs alike are distraught and the puppies decide to run away. Enter a spoiled rich boy named Bartleby who wants Air Bud as a birthday present, a dim-witted cousin, and a doltish thug employed by Bartleby’s father, and mayhem prevails as Buddy and Molly get dog-napped and Noah, Henry, and the runway puppies all set out to rescue them. As the chase winds over the river, through the woods, to the drive-in movie, and straight through the farmyard, slapstick comedy and satire reign and the whole gang learns an important lesson about the value of teamwork, love, and courage. While children ages 3 to 10 will delight in the capers of these cute talking puppies, most adults will find the plot predictable and the action less than riveting. Talent includes Don Knotts, Richard Karn, and Michael Clarke Duncan. —Tami Horiuchi