Air Bud: Golden Receiver (1998)

Director:

Richard Martin

Writers (WGA):

Kevin DiCicco (character "Air Bud")
Paul Tamasy (characters) ...

Release Date:

14 August 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Sport

Tagline:

Just dog it.

Plot:

Story of a golden retriever who can play football.

Plot Keywords:

Golden Retriever | Dog | Family Relationships | Children | Single Parent

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Tim Conway	...	Fred Davis
Dick Martin	...	Phil Phil
Kevin Zegers	...	Josh Framm
Cynthia Stevenson	...	Jackie Framm
Gregory Harrison	...	Patrick Sullivan
Nora Dunn	...	Natalya
Perry Anzilotti	...	Popov
Robert Costanzo	...	Coach Fanelli
Shayn Solberg	...	Tom
Suzanne Ristic	...	Principal Salter
Alyson MacLaren	...	Andrea Framm
Tyler Thompson	...	Oliver
Rhys Williams	...	Goose
Shahai Khademi	...	Juan (as Shahri Khademi)
Jason Anderson	...	Weeble

Also Known As:

Air Bud 2
Tobby 2: Receveur étoile (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Sweden:Btl (TV rating) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Spain:T | USA:G

Filming Locations:

GM Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Keystone Pictures

Trivia:

Six dogs played Bud.

Quotes:

Popov: We're Russians! We demand you take us to the Russian imbecile!
Natalya: It's "Embassy," imbecile!

Movie Connections:

Featured in MXP: Most Xtreme Primate (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

One Moment

An insipid sequel * out of ****

"Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver" is a very bad rehearse in making a sequel in the course of a single year. The first film was cute, cuddly and charming. The idea of a dog playing on a basketball team is quite far fetched, but he defiantly pulled off enough stunts to save the concept. Even the human story had some explanation to it. Josh's father was killed in a plane crash, so he is sad. And the audience becomes emotionally involved as well.

Now for the poorly made sequel. It is terrible. This is the worst kind of bad sequel, the kind that changes the good ideas and turns them into bad ones. The kind that changes the main plot piece in one way, this time, the K-9 plays football instead of basketball. No madder how much time is spent in mind over matter, benefit of a doubt, walk into with an open mind of an attitude you have with a film like this, there is no positive thinking when it comes to down right bad film making.

The sequel stars Kevin Zegers as Josh, who is in eight grade. He lives with his mother and little sister in a Seattle suburb. In the first film the human story involved him losing his father in a plane accident, which the audience can relate to, most people know what it feels like to lose a close loved one.

In this movie, the emotional plot is a bit more complicated. Josh's mother is dating once again. He and Buddy, his dog who can play basketball, don't like this at all. Why? If I were in his shoes I would love to have an extra parent in my life, especially one this nice. The man's name is Patrick Sullivan, and Josh's mother, Jackie, met him became he is a local veterinarian for Buddy.

The animal story is too simple. Josh is influenced by his best friend to try out for the school football team, the Timber Wolves. The team itself looks like something from America's Funniest Home Videos, the can even catch a ball without tripping or plummeting into each other. So when Bud shows up one day, he proves he can play as a receiver for them, and is no doubt the team's best player.

Buddy's extremely cute in his football costume. Oh, he is enough to melt the heart. The dog is the best in this movie as well. Too bad there wasn't enough stunts done by him to draw attention away from the fact that no one ever asks any questions about a dog playing off a school football team.

There is a very bad sub-plot about Russian circus workers that like stealing amazing animals, of course they try to catch Buddy. But their dim minds are ruled over by the animals and end up doing what looks like a "Home Alone" scenario to them.

"Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver" is much more goofy than the first too. The Russian kidnappers add a bunch of lamebrain slapstick that, I have to admit made me laugh, at the stupidity of it all. There are way too many sequences that detail a screwball nature and too few scenes that depict the true reason why people will see this movie-to see a dog play football.

The performances were also quite the embarrassment. I liked Gregory Harrison and Robert Costanzo's presentations, but the overall acting grade would be equivalent to a D+. Kevin Zegers and Cynthia Stevenson were absolutely pathetic.

There were a few hilarious moments near the end by a couple of football announcers, but that isn't even worth mentioning. Will children enjoy this movie? Perhaps, but even they will grow weary when the heart felt discussions become too long and deep. They will most certainly complain that the dog didn't get enough screen time in, and loath over the fast changing script, and protest against the boring performances, and argue that this movie is trash in comparison the origami al "Air Bud," as I did.

I suppose that they will think the dog is adorable.