Air Bud: Golden Receiver

Review

Common Sense Media says

Cute but more intense than other Air Bud movies.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the fact that life goes on after a loved one's death colors the plot of this movie. Josh's moods reflect his disgust with the idea of his mom dating someone else. But he learns to trust again, which is an important lesson.

  • Positive messages3
    Josh is still mourning his father's death, but the good role modeling provided by his coach and his mom's new boyfriend help him to begin to move on with his life. Girls take a secondary role here, however. They are cheerleaders or are on the sideline.
  • Violence & scariness0
    Football is brutal, but not violent, per se.
  • Sexy stuff1
    Josh's mom dates after her husband dies. She is shown wearing short skirts and makeup when she goes on dates. She and Dr. Sullivan share a couple of kisses.
  • Language0
    "Fanny." "Kick butt."
  • Consumerism1
    Football teams, like Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers are featured. Mom drives a Toyota truck.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    The football coach eats food like he's got a food addiction!
CloseExpand to see more details

What's the story?

Josh (Kevin Zegers) is devoted to his dog, Bud, who has proved that he has a penchant for playing basketball. What Josh does not realize is that Bud also plays a mean game of football. At the same time, a pair of villains is trying to abduct Bud to build their circus act. But more importantly to the movie, Josh is coping with the fact that his mother (Cynthia Stevens) is beginning to date again. This is a hard pill to swallow, since Josh's father passed away and still lives in Josh's heart. But with the help of his friends, his football coach, and his canine pal, Bud, he finds that life does go on after all.

Is it any good?

 

This movie is fun and actually rather moving. Josh's relationship with his dog really highlights how a pet can change the dynamic of an otherwise melancholy home. Moreover, the thoughtful performance that Kevin Zegers brings to the fore is very believable. This counterbalances the comedic aspect of the dog-in-a-football-uniform-winning-the-game formula. A good choice for a family movie night!

Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about Josh's situation. Does life really go on when a family member passes away? How do we deal with death and still try to live a full life?

  • How is Josh coping with his dad's death?

This review was written by Joly Herman
Adult
October 6, 2010
AGE
7
 
Cute, but more intense and suspenseful than the other Buddy movies.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (3)
Flag as inappropriate 
Parent
December 26, 2009
AGE
3
 
Cute show
I liked the show. It wasn't mean or sad. It was a fun show surrounded around football. No scenes were detailed to make it scary.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (3)
Flag as inappropriate 
See all user reviews
This review was written by Joly Herman
Topics:sports and martial arts
Studio:Walt Disney Pictures
Director:Richard Martin
Cast:Gregory Harrison, Kevin Zegers, Tim Conway
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:90 minutes
Theatrical release date:December 12, 1998
DVD release date:December 12, 2000
MPAA rating:G
This review was written by Joly Herman
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

More <i>Air Bud</i> (and <i>Buddies</i>) movies
For kids who love animals
Browse more movies
 

vote now

Will you see Air Bud: Golden Receiver?

Won't miss it
On the fence
No way

Already seen it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it