By Tony EvansThe Daily Northwestern
The 2006 release, “Air Buddies,” is the sixth entry in the “Air Bud” film series that began nine years ago. “Buddies” could pass as mindless entertainment, but the movie is tragically unaware of its own rich history. For that, it’s ultimately a failure.
The “Air Bud” series began in 1997. The original “Air Bud” tells the story of Buddy, a golden retriever who learns how to play basketball. Borrowing elements from “White Men Can’t Jump,” “A League of Their Own” and even “Reservoir Dogs,” “Air Bud” transcended its genre and wowed both audiences and critics.
Eager to cash in on the success of “Air Bud,” Disney was quick to greenlight a sequel. Then in 1998, tragedy struck the fledgling franchise. At the peak of his fame, the canine actor who played the eponymous Buddy passed away. (Hollywood legend says he died after ingesting a heroic number of methamphetamines and Bacon Bits). Despite the tremendous loss, the “Bud” series lived on in sequels, and the deceased Buddy was replaced by a Japanese animatronic duplicate.
In the sequels, the robotic Buddy continued to master one sport after another, until he finally became the greatest athlete of all time. The original “Air Bud” was followed by “Air Bud: Golden Receiver,” “Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch,” and the surprisingly graphic “Air Bud: Underground Kickboxing Champion.”
In 2000, it seemed as if “Bud” had reached a lasting conclusion in “Air Bud: World Pup.” At the end of “World Pup,” Buddy and his live-in girlfriend Molly gave birth to five adorable puppies. Much to the dismay of viewers, it looked like Buddy was finally ready to settle down.
After “World Pup,” moviegoers waited six years for the next “Air Bud” movie. Perhaps Disney executives felt the post-Sept. 11 world was not ready to relive the carnal magic of “Bud.” Or maybe they were afraid of tarnishing the greatest movie series of all time.
But in the end, not even Walt Disney’s frozen corpse could keep Buddy out of retirement. The “Air Bud” series had come to represent the voice of a generation – and a message that could not be silenced. At its emotional core, the series is about far more than a golden retriever who plays sports and sometimes wears a basketball jersey.
“Air Bud” is a penetrating look at the repressed subconscious of the modern man: a creature that exists solely for the orgiastic glory of athletic competition. Buddy lives out the masturbatory fantasies of battle that we, as human beings, must reserve for the darkest corners of the heart.
Completely ignoring its predecessors, the 2006 release “Air Buddies” takes the series in a disastrous new direction. In this recent installment, Buddy and his girlfriend Molly are dognapped and it’s up to their five talking puppies to save the day. In many ways, the film is a complete bastardization of everything that the “Air Bud” series represents. “Air Buddies” is supposed to be a rebirth for the series, but to me it feels more like an abortion.
Weinberg senior Tony Evans can be reached at [email protected].
