Air Bud

From the previews for Air Bud, I expected a rambunctious Disney sports comedy, something akin to The Mighty Dogs. But, it's really more of a warm, casually-paced story about a lonely boy and his dog. Unfortunately, the script rips off both the most beloved lonely-boy-and-his-dog story ever (E.T.) and the best lonely-boy-and-his-dog-story of 1997 (Shiloh), and thanks to a marketing campaign which pitches the film as a slapstick comedy, viewers are going to expect something quite different. While the dog's (Buddy) previewed impressive hoop tricks might make a nice five-minute visit with Letterman, they can't support a feature film. With the exception of one minor chase scene and the big basketball game finale, Air Bud will seem achingly slow to its target audience. Not a necessary purchase. (S. Renshaw)[DVD Review—Mar. 3, 2009—Walt Disney, 98 min., PG, $29.99—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1997's Air Bud (Special Edition) features a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras include audio dog-u-commentary voiced by the entire Buddies canine family, including “Buddy,” his wife “Molly,” “Rosebud,” “Buddha,” “Mudbud,” “B-Dog” and “Butterball,” and trailers. Also included in the box is a Buddy dog tag. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an undistinguished (regardless of the numerous sequels) live-action Disney flick.]