IMDb RATING
5.4/10
21K
YOUR RATING
An unexpected player joins the school basketball team - a circus dog who escaped from a cruel master.An unexpected player joins the school basketball team - a circus dog who escaped from a cruel master.An unexpected player joins the school basketball team - a circus dog who escaped from a cruel master.
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- Stars
- Awards
- 4 wins & 3 nominations total
Marion Dodd
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- (as Marian Dodd)
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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.
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.
This is a good movie for younger kids despite some brief mild language. The dog playing basketball just doesn't make sense to me though. I could take the ball away from the dog and its not like he has the height advantage. If you have small kids they would enjoy it.
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 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.
Air Bud is truly a family classic,and one that you'll want to see over and over again. I couldn't believe that Buddy could actually make a basket,but he did. It was really funny and overall a great movie.
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.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaFinished filming in less than a month.
- GoofsThe roads, streets, etc. change from dry to wet to dry in the same scene.
- Quotes
Referee #1: Ain't no rules says a dog can't play basketball.
- ConnectionsEdited into Primary Colors (1998)
- SoundtracksClair
Written and Performed by Gilbert O'Sullivan
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Air Bud
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $3,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $23,144,499
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,878,632
- Aug 3, 1997
- Gross worldwide
- $23,144,499
- Runtime
- 1h 38m(98 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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