Every Disney fan has heard of Air Bud. If they are old enough to have kids, you are also probably fully aware of Air Buddies, Space Buddies, Santa Buddies, etc. You may even know that Buddy from the Air Bud movies is the father of those Buddies. But who is their mother? Watch Air Bud: World Pup, and you will find out. You will also learn that Buddy can play soccer too.
In World Pup, Josh (Kevin Zegers) is now 15 and his mom, Jackie (Chilton Crane), is getting married to the family veterinarian, Dr. Patrick Sullivan (Dale Midkiff). Buddy saves the day when Josh forgets the ring. But the story really begins at the soccer practice of Josh’s sister. It is there that Josh meets Emma Putter (Brittany Paige Bouck), a new girl from England who is there to help coach Andrea’s team. There is an instant attraction between Emma and Josh. This attraction is mirrored by Buddy and Emma’s dog, a female golden retriever named Molly, who Buddy actually met earlier as he was getting the wedding ring for Josh. Josh gets his chance to get close to Emma when he joins his school’s soccer team. They need two more players to meet the minimum requirements, so that means Buddy can join the team as well, since he just as good at soccer as he is at football and basketball. Soon Buddy and Molly have puppies, which we will know now as the talking “Buddies” in the most recent series of films. But, of course, there is also a fired dog catcher (Martin Ferrero) that wants to steal those puppies and ruin the soccer team’s shot at a championship.
Like the previous two films, Air Bud: World Pup is pretty much the same storyline with a new sport taking center stage. It’s predictability is a given, and the most interest twists are the new love interests for our protagonist and his favorite canine. Obviously, the dogs are cute together. But the human romance isn’t that bad either. Kevin Zegers actually has good chemistry with Brittany Paige Bouck, and their romance is not overly sugary sweet. Fortunately, the villains in this film aren’t as cartoonish as previous films ether. In fact, the slapstick comedy has really been scaled down a lot in this film, which is a good thing.
Kevin Zegers is really the only actor left from the first two films, except for his best friend, Tom. He is still as likable as ever. The rest of the main cast has been replaced by new actors to play the same characters, which is definitely a tricky thing. But since this film is geared towards kids, they probably won’t even notice. Still the new actors are passable enough in their new roles. As mentioned earlier, Brittany Bauck is the best new addition to the cast. As for Buddy’s love interest, Molly, some will love her and some will hate her. It all depends on whether you like those series of Buddies movies or not. Without Molly, they wouldn’t exist.
Air Bud: World Pup is actually a second sequel that is better than the original sequel. It’s not quite as good as the original Air Bud, but it’s less cartoonish. Kids will still get a kick at seeing all the new dogs. Adults will be able to tolerate the movie without losing their minds. Therefore, Air Bud: World Pup is at least worth a rental.
The video included is available in presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic aspect ratio, which is enhanced for 16×9 TVs. The quality is good, but not the greatest. The film is over 10 years old, so it shows some of its ages, but overall a solid video quality here. No major problems at all.
The audio included is available in either English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound or Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound. There are subtitles available in English and Spanish as well. The dialogue and music come out loud and clear, so it’s not really a major upgrade over the first DVD release of this film. No major problems here either.
“The Buddies’ Sports Channel” Audio Commentary –
This runs 5 minutes, and it has the five distinctive puppies from all the Buddies films, including Mudbud, B-Dawg, Buddha, Budderball, and Rosebud, all doing color commentary over the soccer game footage from this film. They constantly remind you that they are real dogs throughout their commentary. Once again, this should be fun for the kids, but not anyone else.
“Production Featurette” –
This runs 5 minutes and it’s your basic “making of” featurette. Cast and crew talk about filming this movie as we get random behind-the-scenes footage. Nothing special here.
Air Bud Cinch Bag –
This is a 100% polyester blue bag that is equipped with drawstrings for tightening and shoulder slinging. It displays the film’s title “Disney Presents Air Bud: World Pup” in yellow.
If you liked the original Air Bud, you will probably enjoy this film more than you did the previous film, Air Bud: Golden Receiver. This film is better in so many ways than that film. Then again, young kids will especially love this film as they did the others. This special edition DVD set only includes one Buddies commentary that will likely annoy older people, and a cinch bag. Is it must-own? Not really, but it’s worth watching if you have kids. So go rent it.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment presents Air Bud: World Pup. Directed by Bill Bannerman. Written by Mick Whiting, Robert Vince, and Anne Vince; Based on characters created by Kevin DiCicco. Starring Kevin Zegers, Caitlin Wachs, Brittany Paige Bouck, Martin Ferrero, Miguel Sandoval, and Dale Midkiff. Running time: 83 minutes. Rated G. Released on DVD: June 15, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
