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I loved this movie when I was a kid, and even back then I had little idea why. I mean, it wasn't like I thought it was particularly funny or touching or anything like that. I guess I just really liked the basic premise, because you have to admit the central idea is pretty weird and nutty. How stoned do you have to get before you come up with a dog that plays basketball? How would that even remotely work? I'm really putting too much thought in this movie I guess, but it's just so bizarre that I've always found it very entertaining. I've learned the sequels actually stretch the premise even further and involve dogs that can play soccer, baseball and volleyball, but this one will always be the one and only original "dog does weird athletic stuff it can't possibly do"-flick.

This is a good movie, really. The late dog was charming, and very talented. Zegers is a good actor.

It's been a while since I've seen this film, but I can tell you that it had a good, if seeming a little cliched, story. Zegers is Josh Framm, he's been upset since his test-pilot father was killed in an accident. After moving to Washington, he doesn't fit in and becomes even more upset, but things turn around when he finds a stray dog that has run away from its previous owner.

When he discovers that this dog can shoot baskets, he's cheered up, and decides to join the basketball team, bringing the dog Buddy along as a mascot.

This movie is a little too melodramatic for a kids' movie in certain places. For example, there's the scene in which the basketball coach, after a game in which the character Tom had trouble catching passes, is alone with Tom in the gym, repeatedly firing balls at Tom that batter him all over his body. When Josh and the principal find them, Tom turns and we see bruises on his face and a black eye. That's a little disturbing.

Other than that, this movie is not that bad. All of the sequals suck. Dogs can't play baseball, that's why the ball in the fourth movie is computer animated, completely ruining the spirit of the series.

It's easy to be entertained by a dog shooting hoops. But what make this movie good is the fact that it's plot isn't just for 3 year olds.

I wasn't expecting Air Bud to be all that good, after the disappointment of the other kiddie film, Soccer Dog, but I found this film weirdly impressive, to be quite honest.

Josh (Kevin Zegers) is an introverted 12-year-old whose test pilot dad has been killed, necessitating a family move to the leafy Washington suburb of Fernfield. Here, he meets Buddy, a stray retriever, who can score baskets with his nose and is adopted into the family home. Buddy's ball skills soon cheer Josh up and ingratiate him with his peers, and they both make the Timberwolves school team. Conflict arrives in the form of Buddy's previous cruel owner Snively (Michael Jeter), a children's entertainer of the Fred West school.

The direction is sloppy, the actors overact and the result is cheese on a stick, but Air Bud still manages to entertain adults and children throughout the perfectly short running time. The story of a basketball-playing dog is magnificent, and Buddy is an irresistible golden retriever, he makes the film as watchable as it ever will be.

You'll cry, you'll laugh and you'll be weirdly uplifted, but don't expect to be absolutely spellbound with Air Bud. But I do still recommend it, that's for sure.

I rate Air Bud 7 out of 10.

OK, hmmm, well lets see... I question how many dogs died in the making of this movie, seeing as a breaking of the nose during some "crazy dawg action" trying to score with the basketball. Also, I've heard that pudding isn't good for dogs...ya. And also, this is basically dissing American basketball. A team of kids who haven't won a single game...And along comes a dog, which appears to be a better teacher than any of the boys, as well as better than the whole team. (Even though it has no idea what it's doing.) Oh ya! I just remembered. Golden retrievers don't have thumbs. So, the writer's brilliant plan? Airbud hits the the basketball with his nose basically the whole movie! One problem. I've tried that before. Make that two problems. It breaks the dog's nose, as well as YOU CAN"T AIM! This is crushing all of the kid's egos! They must be thinking "Hey, a dog, with no thumbs, using only his nose is better than me." You'd think some kid would want revenge for all of the humiliation. Although I had tons of fun making fun (fun squared!) of this movie with my good pals, unless you are into all types of cheese possible, watch grass grow. It is more exciting, and has a better plot.

AirBud paints a very troubling an unrealistic picture of the possibilities of even the most athletic dogs potential basketball skills, not to mention he never actually dribbles the ball, are we just supposed to ignore that traveling is a foul?

Air Bud is far from a classic, but I was surprised at how much I liked this movie. As far as dog movies go, Lassie Come Home and Old Yeller are the best in my opinion, but Air Bud is not a bad family movie at all. It is too short though, and there is some uneven direction and some hit and misses in the script, However, some of it is fitfully amusing, and the story is appealing. And the characters are engaging, especially Buddy and Josh, those two have great chemistry together. Kevin Zegers is likable enough, while Buddy steals the film whether it is the stunts or the bonding scenes. Air Bud is nice to look at, and the soundtrack is decent. But I have to give special mention to the acrobatics, because they are amazing. All in all, an entertaining and likable film, not perfect but decent family fare without taking itself too seriously. 7/10 Bethany Cox

If you leik dogs that play basketball, you will leik, if not; no leik. 3 stars because it's well-acted.

I really enjoyed this movie, as an owner now of 4 dogs, and as a kid when I had a dog ,, I used to share lunch with the dog,, talk to him/her... play all the things kids do with dogs.. this movie just rocks.. I so hated buddy's first owner,, the stupid clown,, oh so happy when the kid decides to take action against the clown. as far as a dog playing basketball I actually wouldn't put it past an actual real life dog to do it being properly trained and all, the only thing I feel that's a little far fetched is the poor dog wearing those tiny dog slippers tell me how a golden retriever is gonna run up and down the basketball court in sneakers,, but other than that I really just loved this movie,, it's a movie for all ages 9-99. enjoy folks.

I mean, it's a movie about a golden retriever playing competitive basketball. My expectations were low going in. Still, even by the standards of a dumb, one-note, live-action Disney Channel daydream, Air Bud is uh, not great. Cut out the dog and you've seen this plot a thousand times before: middle school kid loses his father (a FIGHTER PILOT), moves to a new town, struggles to make friends, kicks rocks for a few weeks, befriends an affable janitor and dutifully wins the hearts and minds of the school basketball team. Bland, sappy, overplayed material. Tossed into that mix is said retriever, literally kicked to the curb by a cruel middle-aged party clown, who sees the kid as a kindred spirit and, oh yeah, also has a nasty jump shot. Cue the practice montage, the "technically there's no rule against it" referee's decision, and (eventually) the vengeful former owner looking for a slice of the pie.

The dog's fun to have around, but his schtick is just entertaining enough for a short, lighthearted clip on the evening news. The rest of the movie is as blunt and cheesy as they come; a dozen soap opera acting performances paired with a heaping dose of white bread morality. Bad slapstick around every corner. Bud hits the same shot thirty times in slightly different environs, always accompanied by delighted cheers and uplifting music. Once, he does so while wearing a jersey and cute doggy-sized sneakers. Despite its depiction on the box art, he attempts no dunks. No dunking dog! What are we even doing here?

Since most kids' movies are horrible, parents dread having to sit through them alongside their children. But this is harmless, feel-good fun that even a parent can stomach. It's a tad unbelievable, and some stunts are all too convenient, but so what? We can all suspend a certain amount of disbelief and enjoy a movie, right?

An awful professional clown has a pet golden retriever he treats cruelly and ends up losing. The dog meets a boy who has just moved into town and the boy fosters then keeps him, and it turns out that the dog is able to "play" basketball, or rather can knock basketballs into the basket utilizing his snout. (The credits for the movie say that the dog did it for real.) The boy joins his new school's basketball team, and so does the dog, first as a mascot, then he is called in to play when several human players are injured

Basically a cookie-cutter "boy and his dog triumphs" story, though suspension of disbelief is required, namely the fact that the dog can put basketballs into a basket but cannot genuinely play basketball, as he can only carry the basketball in his mouth rather than dribble it as basketball players are supposed to do during a game. One former basketball player in the movie gives a decent performance, but everyone else just goes through the motions. Even the villainous clown is so inept he isn't even minimally scary. Some more movies were made using a golden retriever playing various sports, but this movie failed to make me want to watch them.

Although this family sports movie was released in 1997, I believe I saw it for the first time in 2001. I was in my early teens at the time, and it definitely didn't turn out to be one of my all-time favourite movies, but I think I was impressed with a lot of it. I certainly wasn't bored. If I remember correctly, what I liked the most about "Air Bud" was the dog, since I found him so cute. I think he often put a smile on my face, at least early in the film. However, if I hadn't seen the film years ago, I doubt I would have ever bothered watching it, but since I remembered it, I decided to watch it again eight years later. This time, I knew it wasn't a very popular movie, and unsurprisingly, I noticed some flaws I hadn't noticed before.

Josh Framm is a boy who has just moved to Fernfield, Washington with his mother and younger sister after the tragic death of his father. At school in this town, he has no friends, and despite his interest in basketball, he is too shy to try out for the school's team. He discovers an abandoned basketball court in the town, and starts shooting hoops there. He also meets a stray golden retriever in that area, one who was lost by his abusive owner, a clown named Norm Snively, when he fell out of his truck. Josh quickly befriends this dog, naming him Buddy, and sees that he's also good at basketball! Eventually, Josh does make the school team, and Buddy soon joins in, which brings him a lot of attention. Unfortunately, however, after Norm Snively sees his lost dog on TV, he wants him back. The relationship between the boy and the dog could be in trouble, and so could the team!

This movie is hands down a failure when it comes to humour. This includes the beginning, with Norm Snively, played by Michael Jeter, at a birthday party with Buddy (before he loses him), trying to entertain a bunch of kids, which leads to some weak slapstick, making a huge mess in the house. The scene where Josh's mother sees Buddy for the first time is a lot like that, with more unfunny slapstick leading to a huge mess. Norm is supposed to be a really funny character, but VERY rarely is. As for the serious parts, they're not terrible, but aren't really that gripping or anything. A bit of emotion or tension wasn't enough to make it satisfying. Basically, "Air Bud" is another mediocre modern-day PG-rated kiddie flick, but I guess it's harmless, and many kids could enjoy it. As for me, I'm going to have to move on, and not bother watching this movie's one theatrical sequel or any of its many direct-to-video sequels.

I've never been a fan of Disney movies proposing animals have the human level of cognitive abilities, so this movie have always seemed off to me, in a way I couldn't put my finger on. Just this feeling creeping down my back, that something is up with that dog.

Then in comes John Oliver, and puts hits finger where it belongs, and the creeping feeling suddenly became better. Like a darkness was lifted from my mind and finally rays of sun and warmth can enter.

Ta, John. If it wasn't for your fingering, I'd still be in an Airbud induced conundrum that was my life and reality.

I'm sorry, but I just do not understand the appeal of the AIR BUD films and films like them. I don't mind the idea of having animals in these ridiculous situations, but for me it has just never been done well.

The movie is frustrating and hard to watch. It feels much longer than it is. Not my kind of film at all. Do not recommend.

A young boy who's father has passed away moves to a new town with his baby sister and mother, with little hopes of making new friends or getting over his father's death: until he finds a dog who can play basketball! Turning suddenly from being an incompetent water boy, whom only dreams of joining the school basketball team, to an admirable young athlete with his great new dog, Buddy.

A mildly entertaining afternoon special for kids. With it's innocence and slitly comicle charm, this movie, like all other afterschool specials has it's moments. I wouldn't say it was funny, it dosn't have what most of the modern day kids or pre-teens are looking for in their entertainment: Bombs going off, blood, martial arts or showy costumes. It's the type of thing for a family with three or four children of mixed ages to watch with their mother before nap time. Isn't obscene like most movies even a nine year old might watch these days, yet isn't Barnie or Elmo either.