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28 reviews in total

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18 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
Even the parents will like it, 28 September 2003

Author: Transformer from CT

Since most kids' movies are horrible, parents dread having to sit through them alongside their children. But this is harmless, feel-good fun that even a parent can stomach. It's a tad unbelievable, and some stunts are all too convenient, but so what? We can all suspend a certain amount of disbelief and enjoy a movie, right?

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Buddy and Josh make this movie, 29 July 2007

Author: Atreyu_II from The world of artists

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

'Air Bud' is one of "doggy" movies so much in fashion in its time. And it's surprisingly underrated.

This is by no means a comedy, although it has its funny moments. It is dramatic, more than anything. In fact, this is often a depressing film but joyful at the same time.

Unlike its sequels, this one has a clever plot (a sentimental one, I'd say). It's heartwarming, in the line of others like this such as 'Old Yeller', 'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey', 'Napoleon' and 'Fluke'.

Despite the title, the story isn't just about our very dear canine friend Buddy (even if he is the main star). The story also focus on Josh Framm, who is a crucial character, together with the dog. After all, they are destined to be best friends. Josh is Buddy's salvation, but Buddy also plays an important role to save Josh's life. Buddy escapes from his alcoholic and aggressive owner and finds a peaceful life with Josh. On the other hand, Josh gets over depression and shyness thanks to Buddy, which gives the him will to live and brings back Josh's lost interest in basketball.

That's when the movie's most original thing happens: Buddy can play basketball! That is just amazing! Like everybody else in the movie, to see the dog playing basketball leaves me speechless. That dog has an incredible talent for basketball and even more unbelievable is that he never fails. He's a much better and natural-born player than the humans themselves. He becomes the mascot of Josh's basketball team... which brings them lots of luck.

The beauty of this movie isn't just in the dramatic story, but also in the friendship between Josh and man's best friend. Plus, Buddy is a Golden Retriever, my favorite dog breed. Golden Retrievers look so friendly and pacific. They are in fact. They are among the world's sweetest and most beautiful dogs.

But the magnificent scenario also gives beauty to the movie: rivers, green places, a nice village. All of this is very well combined with soft, relaxing and beautiful piano music (like in "Fluke").

Tom is an eccentric boy who always carries minor pieces of garbage to give him luck. It is, however, a bit disturbing to see that Joe coach throwing him numerous basketballs, causing the boy to shake nervously and feel very tired.

Larry, although constantly picking on Josh, isn't really annoying or stupid. He is more of an arrogant and jealous guy than actually mean.

Despite having some deeply touching moments, the most heartbreaking moment of the movie is when Buddy crosses the river and tries to follow the river boat which Josh catches. That scene always makes tears come to my eyes.

As for the cast, Kevin Zegers (a sports boy in real life, just like Noah Hathaway) is wonderful in the role of Josh Framm and Buddy the Dog is simply fantastic as Buddy. I was so sad when I found out that Buddy died. He was a friendly, adorable, beautiful and very talented dog. The little girl who plays Josh's cute little sister (whoever she is) is alright either.

But I don't like some of the characters at all. Norm Snively is a drunk, abusive man and a loser as a clown. Coach Joe is a jerk and unkind. Larry's father is a jerk and a hypocrite.

This should definitely be on Top 250.

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8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Of all the movies I have watched, this is the only one that has made me Cry, 7 January 2006

Author: Matt Erb (mrbillybob@gmail.com) from Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is the kind of movie that will be remembered forever. This movie was done perfectly and I have no negative thoughts about it. They chose the absolute best music for this movie and I don't think anyone could have chose better. It needs to be remembered, they should make it on a special edition DVD. Even though they have come out with tons of Air Bud movies after this, the original one will always be the best. The Sadest part in the whole movie is the part when Josh leaves Buddy stranded on the other side of the river. This will always be my favorite movie, and nothing will ever change that. I give Air Bud a 10 out of 10 for great humor, sadness, and music. Great Job!

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
He Got Game!, 10 March 2003
Author: (robocoptng986127@aol.com) from U.S.A

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

[CONTAINS SPOILERS]

Norman F. Snively and his dog Buddy worked as a clown act, Clown and a Hound. They arrive to do a child's birthday party. Norm isn't really a very good clown and Buddy ended up upstaging him so the two are thrown out. Norm throws a temper tantrum then says he's taking Buddy to the pound but on the way, Buddy's crate falls off the back of the truck and lands in the street. It's nearly run over by a car containing the Framm family who were new to Fernfield. There was mom, Jackie and her children Josh and Andrea. Josh had lost his father a year ago and it looked as though his new life in a new town would be dull. At school, they tried enrolling him in an extra-carricular activity, like band, but that didn't work out very well. On his way home, he found a basketball court in the back of an old, abandoned church so he began shooting hoops. That's when he met Buddy who didn't come very close to him. Josh decides to try out for the basketball team at school and surly Coach Barker makes him a waterboy. When Josh is sent downstairs to wash a load of jerseys, he learns that the school custodeon was in fact Arthur Chaney of the 1956 New York Knicks!

When shooting hoops in the court the next day, Josh saw Buddy again and to Josh's surprise, Buddy could play ball so they played around the court for a while then Josh brought him home and tried to give him a bath and hide him from Jackie, but she soon found out and said keeping him was out of the question, but Josh got Buddy an old refrigerator box to sleep in in the backyard. Jackie agreed to let Buddy stay until Christmas which was two weeks away. So soon Christmas morning arrives and Josh runs downstairs to find Buddy under the tree with a big bow on his head. Josh was ecstatic! At school, Josh tried out for the team and to his surprise, he made it! In the mornings when Jackie went out to get the newspaper, it wasn't there. That's because Buddy would snatch it and bury it. Soon Josh learns that not only can Buddy pass the basketball around but he can shoot hoops! Buddy becomes a team mascot. It was that afternoon that Coach Barker was seen throwing basketballs at a teammate and the principal frowned on that so Barker was fired. Josh suggested the replacement coach be Arthur Chaney, who jumped at the chance. He taught the children about teamwork and sportsmanship.

Buddy got to play in an actual game. Things were really looking up! Buddy made news stories all over town, which unfortunately Norm got wind of so he stopped by the Framm house and reclaimed Buddy. Josh was devastated but he made a plan to go get Buddy and make it to the big game. Josh sneaked into Norm's backyard, unchained Buddy and the two escape. Norm sees, jumps in his faulty old pick-up truck and gives chase. They run all the way to the shore. That's when the brakes give out and Norm drives right into the river. That evening, Josh and Buddy play in the big game and WIN!! That's when Norm showed up and decided to take this to court. After much deliberation, the judge decided, well actually Chaney convinced him to let Buddy decide who his master should be. The judge allowed it. Buddy bit Norm then chose Josh so they all lived happily ever after.

This movie is pretty good. It has it's funny moments. I'm sorry to say that Buddy the dog is no longer with us. He died after the film's release. From surgical complications or something. Other members of the cast include Michael Jeter as Norm. Why does he always get calls to play weirdos and crazies??! Bill Cobb is here too! Air Bud is followed by a seemingly endless line of sequels! Air Bud II: Golden Receiver in 1998 in which Buddy plays football, Air Bud III: World Pup in 1999 where he plays soccer, Air Bud IV: Seven Inning Fetch in 2002 where he plays baseball and coming soon: Air Bud V: Air Bud Spikes Back. Notice anything familiar about that title? Hmm? I assume he plays football again. I saw Golden Receiver. Wasn't that great. I didn't see World Pup or Seven Inning Fetch. I wonder what he'll play next. Hockey? Golf? Foosball? Oh well. Future Air Bud movies will tell, I guess. But anyway, if you like animal comedies and good family movies, then I recommend Air Bud! He sits. He stays. He shoots. He scores!

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6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
A simple, innocent, mildely intertaning after school special., 19 January 2004
Author: (eaw1990osaka@yahoo.com) from Kyoto, Japan.

A young boy who's father has passed away moves to a new town with his baby sister and mother, with little hopes of making new friends or getting over his father's death: until he finds a dog who can play basketball! Turning suddenly from being an incompetent water boy, whom only dreams of joining the school basketball team, to an admirable young athlete with his great new dog, Buddy.

A mildly entertaining afternoon special for kids. With it's innocence and slitly comicle charm, this movie, like all other afterschool specials has it's moments. I wouldn't say it was funny, it dosn't have what most of the modern day kids or pre-teens are looking for in their entertainment: Bombs going off, blood, martial arts or showy costumes. It's the type of thing for a family with three or four children of mixed ages to watch with their mother before nap time. Isn't obscene like most movies even a nine year old might watch these days, yet isn't Barnie or Elmo either.

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Family movie, 10 June 2001
Author: MovieDoug from Maine, USA

This is a good movie for younger kids despite some brief mild language. The dog playing basketball just doesn't make sense to me though. I could take the ball away from the dog and its not like he has the height advantage. If you have small kids they would enjoy it.

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6 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Good family film., 6 March 1999
Author: Michael Ma from San Diego, CA

Need a movie to keep your kids distracted for 2 hours? Then this is the one for you! Well, it's not like a best movie Disney has made or anything. But I thought it would teach kids some responsibility. And it definitely has some entertainment value. Kinda like Old Yeller without the lifelong trauma.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Hmmm - dogs playing sports!!, 17 May 2010

Author: Arlis Fuson from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

After a kids dad dies he moves to a new city where he finds himself lost and alone. His passion is basketball, but hes kind of shy and weird around kids and doesn't try out for the team at first. He finds a stray dog and soon learns the dog can actually shoot hoops with his nose. After a while he joins the team and soon the whole town witnesses the dogs talents and he ends up on the team. Soon, once the original owner of the dog who hated him finds out the dog is famous he comes back to claim him for his own.

I had watched this movie a few times years ago and it was just another predictable happy ending kids film. I must admit there's hundreds of thousands of these movies made and they are all pretty much the same. Good for a kid to set down and kept shut up for an hour and a half. You know how they are gonna end and what the story is all about just by looking at the cover art.

I didn't hate it, but it offered nothing great. I like Kevin Zegers and I had watched this a few times 12 or 13 years ago when it came out and thought it was okay for a kids movie. Eric Christmas does good as the judge and Michael Jeter plays a good bad guy here..

I always give credit to directors who work with animals, it cannot be an easy job. The director of this film made an old horror movie from 86 I love called Trick or Treat so thats a cool plus for me.

Watch it and decide for yourself but you aren't seeing anything new here. Maybe a dog playing basketball isn't that heard of or seen, but it's not too impressive and the story itself is middle of the road 3/10 stars.

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3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
undemanding fun, 8 August 1999
Author: William Jonathan Stafford (william@tarzan69.freeserve.co.uk)

This movie is undemanding fun. while it's refreshing to see a film that does not rely on -or even use- computer-generated effects, the set-up is that the guy, Michael Jeter, is shown to be a baddie because of his treatment of the dog as his co-star in his crummy clown show. As an audience we must share complicity in this, as 'Buddy' performs for our entertainment, and that dog (and his two doubles) really do score those baskets. But, all political correctness aside, the movie is enjoyable enough. Underused though is the excellent Brendan Fletcher as the 'bad kid'.

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5 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Irresistible and Likeable0., 23 November 2000
Author: flickjunkie-3 from New Zealand

I wasn't expecting Air Bud to be all that good, after the disappointment of the other kiddie film, Soccer Dog, but I found this film weirdly impressive, to be quite honest.

Josh (Kevin Zegers) is an introverted 12-year-old whose test pilot dad has been killed, necessitating a family move to the leafy Washington suburb of Fernfield. Here, he meets Buddy, a stray retriever, who can score baskets with his nose and is adopted into the family home. Buddy's ball skills soon cheer Josh up and ingratiate him with his peers, and they both make the Timberwolves school team. Conflict arrives in the form of Buddy's previous cruel owner Snively (Michael Jeter), a children's entertainer of the Fred West school.

The direction is sloppy, the actors overact and the result is cheese on a stick, but Air Bud still manages to entertain adults and children throughout the perfectly short running time. The story of a basketball-playing dog is magnificent, and Buddy is an irresistible golden retriever, he makes the film as watchable as it ever will be.

You'll cry, you'll laugh and you'll be weirdly uplifted, but don't expect to be absolutely spellbound with Air Bud. But I do still recommend it, that's for sure.

I rate Air Bud 7 out of 10.

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