The puppies decide to run away so they can stay together. They leave early the next morning, running afoul of the villains. After a frantic chase, they get captured and used as bait to capture their parents. Once their parents are in enemy hands, they go to Deputy Sniffer to get help, but the old dog isn’t quite up to the task. The puppies figure out what they need to do and get started.
The rest of the movie runs through good action sequences as the villains have to go back for the puppies. The chase through the farm involving the billy goat is especially well done, and the showcasing 101 Dalmatians receives while at the movie theater fits in nicely.
Richard Karn and Cynthia Stevenson do a solid job as the parents. Michael Clarke Duncan as the wolf who befriends the puppies in the forest is great. His deep voice sounds warm and threatening at the same time.
Air Buddies is a great family film that has a lot of replay value. The story movies quickly and the puppies are adorable as they move across the screen or argue among themselves. Whatever the animation is that makes the puppies look like they’re talking is spot on. The head movements and body language of the puppies works beautifully. Not only that, but the character of each of the puppies is clearly defined and allows them to sound and act unique.
The one-liners that zing through the movie are a delight. Some of them can be seen coming, but others arrive with complete surprise. The villains are a riot, coming across as appropriately creepy and evil, and their failings are funny.
This is a good rental for family night or to shelve on the family DVD library racks, especially if the kids already have the other Air Bud movies.
Article comments
1 - caitlin morris
the pups in this movie are the cutest