AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1998 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
The original AIR BUD was a delightful Disney film in the OLD YELLER tradition of a boy and his dog. More than a comedy, it was a touching little film with some very sweet scenes.
Its sequel, AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER, shares little with the spirit of the original. It stars a golden retriever, but not the original one. Sadly, the first Buddy was lost to cancer and the film is dedicated to his memory. The new Buddy can still shoot hoops, but this being football season, he dons a helmet and becomes a football star - hence the GOLDEN "RECEIVER" part of the title.
The film has the same writers as before, Paul Tamasy and Aaron Mendelsohn, but the script they came up with less than a year later feels rushed. Totally devoid of ideas other than letting a dog run around on a football field, the movie has lame jokes and ineffective subplots.
The same actor from the first film, Kevin Zegers plays the dog's owner, Josh Framm. The same actor, Shayn Solberg, also plays Josh's friend Tom Stewart. All of the rest of the actors are different. They do share a common trait in being given little of interest to say or do. The movie works solely on the basis of the comical visual of Buddy in his silly little helmet and uniform running up and down the field with the opposing team tripping all over themselves trying to catch him.
Typical of the recycled humor is the date that comes to see Josh's mom (Cynthia Stevenson). He sneezes in the flower bouquet because he is allergic to dogs. Another scene has the mom on rollerblades being pulled behind the dog, unable to let go until she falls in the arms of her future suitor. There will be much made of Josh's resentment that his mother is dating, but the director, Richard Martin, the second unit director on AIR BUD, is unable to stage these scenes with any genuine feelings.
Of all the ridiculous subplots, the one of the stupid Russian animalnappers is the worst. The movie would be infinitely better and fifteen minutes shorter without them.
Josh becomes the quarterback of his Junior High football team. Full of klutzes who can't run without falling, the team has been "the laughing stock of the league for the past decade." When Buddy demonstrates his ability to catch a football and run with it, they put him on the team. Amazingly, their opponents' coaches never object.
Only on the field does the movie work. When Buddy lines up, does calisthenics, or whatever, he is funny. But this sight gag is not enough to sustain a full-length movie.
(Tim Conway and Dick Martin are the play-by-play announcers for the big game. Dick plays a senile man who offers such colorful remarks as the way to win is to score more points than the other team. He is embarrassing to watch. One would hope that seniors' groups might picket the movie.)
Will they win the state championship at the end? Of course. One part of the movie that is refreshing, albeit not especially believable, is that the coach isn't really interested very much in winning. When they threaten to fire him for his team's terrible records, he doesn't care. He thinks that the only thing that is important is whether his players are having fun. Try to find a coach like that in real-life.
AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER runs 1:30. It is rated G and would be fine for all ages.
My son Jeffrey, age 9, really liked the film, giving it ****. His favorite part was when Buddy got to play in some pro games, both basketball and football.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com
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