This whole “talking dogs” thing Disney has been doing for a few years is new to me because I’ve never seen Air Bud or Snow Buddies or any of those films that have the pooches with the ability to talk with one another. I wasn’t entirely sure how my train of thought was going into this film once it was popped into my DVD player, but now that it’s all over…I’m still not totally sure how my train of thought is. It is blatantly obvious that this film, as well as the others in the series, is intended for children, but there are kid movies that sometimes appeal to parents and even adults without children. Space Buddies is not one of those movies.
A group of puppies have secretly made their way onto a field trip with the children of their owners. The “buddies,” as they are called, tag along to see this brand new spaceship that is supposed to shock and amaze the world, but the buddies don’t see what the big deal is. They do happen to make their way onto the spaceship and fly it way out of Earth’s orbit and into the starry universe. Along the way, the buddies meet up with a Russian dog that helps them learn the ways of outer space which he already knows plenty about. They also come face to face with Professor Pi and Dr. Finkel who have plans to squash the whole plan for the new spaceship and its mission, but the buddies are determined to do everything they can to make sure their evil intentions don’t succeed.
Let’s face it, Space Buddies is a kids’ film straight and simple and there is no other way to look at it. The puppies are surely cute even though their moving mouths are honestly quite disturbing to me. Yeah I know that’s weird coming from a guy obsessed with horror movies but it’s just not natural. Other than the cuteness (freakishness) of the puppies, there isn’t much more for any adult to get out of this film because it’s just rather dull and specifically aimed at children. Little jokes and child-like slapstick humor are what will keep young ones laughing the whole time, but it’s not even remotely funny for adults and therefore is hard to even watch with the kids.
Space Buddies is probably like all the films in this series are and will be as more of them keep getting released. And they will. Disney knows these films will always be bought in bulk because children will continue to like them and laugh at them. Hell, I know if I had kids and wanted to keep them quiet for a few hours then this would certainly be a worthwhile purchase.
Our furry little friends are shown in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and while the colors and such are bright and crisp making it all look really good; the puppies’ mouths kind of creep me out a little bit. That’s not necessarily the fault of production but still.
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and all is well here. A good score along with well spoken dialogue makes for easy listening.
Buddy Bloopers – Here is something for the kids (just like this entire DVD) in that these are “bloopers” for the puppies. (2:55)
“Dancing In The Moonlight” Music Video
Disneypedia: The Buddies’ Guide To Space Travel – A cute little “making of” featurette hosted by the puppies. They talk about space, traveling in rockets, and all other such things. It’s cute but nothing much. (12:56)
Buddy Facts – Pop-up speech bubbles that appear throughout the film giving little tidbits and trivia.
Trailers – Pinocchio 70th Anniversary Edition, Earth, Air Bud: Special Edition, Oliver and Company: 20th Anniversary Edition, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too, Santa Buddies, Bolt, Imagination Movers, and TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure
Take a look at my scores for this film and you’ll see that I pretty much despise it and everything that comes along with the DVD. But if you have children and are buying it for them, then you might as well jack all my scores up three or four ratings because the kids will love it and parents will adore having a mild sedative for them that isn’t a prescription. Not much else to be said here, so now I’ll turn it over to my talking chiweenie. My chiweenie doesn’t really talk, but if he did then I’d be making some serious cash.
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Walt Disney Video presents Space Buddies. Directed by: Robert Vince. Featuring the voices of: Diedrich Bader, Field Cate, Jason Earles, Josh Flitter, and more. Written by: Robert Vince. Running time: 84 minutes. Rating: G. Released on DVD: February 3, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
