Air Bud: Golden Receiver

Air Bud: Golden Receiver

“Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver” pales in comparison to the enjoyable 1997 family film. It is a sequel that lacks the original’s spirit and sweetness. I went to the first “Air Bud” with low expectations since movies about basketball-playing dogs rank low on my list of priorities. However, it charmed me with its humor and told the story of a new kid at school who becomes friends with an outcast after he finds out that his dog can play basketball too.

The movie starts off sad; the boy, Josh (Kevin Zegers), lost his father in a crash where he was test piloting an experimental airplane. His mom moves them from downtown Seattle to suburbia by the coast, where they live next door to Patrick Sullivan, the local vet whom Josh does not approve of because he believes nobody could ever take his late dad’s place.

Josh becomes friends with Buddy when they meet in an abandoned church where they both go to be alone after school every day until one afternoon Buddy shows up wearing shoes and carrying a basketball under his arm just like Josh does every day after school.

Even though it’s not explained in the film why these Russian petnappers want all these animals or what kind of zoo they plan on setting up, there are still too many heartfelt scenes between Mrs. Framm (Cynthia Stevenson) and her fiancé Patrick Sullivan (Gregory Harrison), which slows down this already sluggish children’s comedy way more than necessary especially considering that none of this has anything whatsoever do with an air bud catching footballs for two hours straight.

It makes you wonder if there even is such a thing as stupid questions anymore…

I remember those novels of Albert Payson Terhune, the dog ones that is. I was watching this guy do his thing and it reminded me of them. “Lad” was one he wrote about, I think. If a dog doesn’t like you they do that shoulder thing because it means they’re rolling in their dead enemies’ rotting flesh or something.

It’s too bad the play by play announcer didn’t catch on, but then again the announcers aren’t very bright around here. The first time Buddy ran onto the court, the announcer yelled, “It’s a dog!” I mean wouldn’t you expect a play by play announcer in a small suburban town to recognize a golden retriever who just won the basketball championship? A dog like that, it’s gonna make some noise.

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