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Space Buddies (G, 2009)

common sense media says

One small step for dogkind, one cute adventure for kids.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie follows the formulaic approach of previous Air Bud/Buddies movies -- but animal-loving kids will enjoy it anyway. A teacher is treated extremely disrespectfully, there are repeated dog fart jokes, and Denny's gets a big plug, but there's not really anything too objectionable here unless you count the absolute lack of connection to the science of real space travel.

Positive messages: Teamwork is the main message of this pup filled trip to space.  A mean scientist tries to get a colleague in trouble, but the Buddies and their child owners make sure he doesn't get away with it. Repeated dog fart jokes.
Positive role models: The puppies are siblings who tease and test, but they always work as a team and take care of one another.
Violence & scariness: Very mild scene of peril as dogs elude a crazy cosmonaut.
Sexy stuff: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: One loud plug for Denny's restaurant.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Space Buddies

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about why kids wanted to see this movie -- is it because of the story or because they saw lots of ads on TV?
  • Families can also discuss the five puppies and their distinct personalities. Which one do you think you're most like?
  • Which one would you most like to have as a pet? Do you think it would ever be that easy to climb aboard a spaceship unannounced?
  • What do you think agencies like NASA do to make sure something like that doesn't happen?

What's the story?

What's the story?
SPACE BUDDIES is the latest in what seems to be an unending chain of spin-offs of the original charming Air Bud. The franchise now focuses on Bud's offspring, five adorable golden retriever pups who each have distinct personalities and work together as a team to get in and out of scrapes. In this adventure, after hitching a ride on a school field trip, the pups inadvertently stow away on a test flight for a commercial space vehicle (thankfully, it's controlled by a ground crew). A trip to a long-lost Russian space station puts them in contact with Spudnick the space dog (voiced by Jason Earles), and together the canines get a chance to be the first dogs on the moon.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

"Phoning it in" doesn't really begin to describe the work of Space Buddies' screenwriters, who by now have dispatched with any parent figures for either the dogs or most of the movie's kids. (If you've seen previous Buddies movies, it's worth noting that, while the puppies never age, this movie had to cast new actors to play their young owners.) And the puppies, like B-Dawg (Skyler Gisondo) and Budderball (Josh Flitter), each have their own schtick -- from rapper to Zen master to girly girl -- that predicts exactly how each character will react to new plot twists.

Still, if your child loves cute puppies -- and who doesn't? -- this movie will hit the spot. Scenes of puppies in the mud, puppies on the moon, and puppies floating in space will tickle young funny bones, and Spudnick's yearning to return to his earthbound owner may even elicit a tear or two from the sentimentalists in the crowd.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Director: Robert Vince
Cast: Bill Fagerbakke, Kevin Weisman, Lochlyn Munro
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 84 minutes
Theatrical release: February 3, 2009
DVD release: February 3, 2009
MPAA Rating: G
This review was written by Nancy Davis Kho
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

lilmissfrankie
kid, 12 years old
5
 
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
i saw this and i fell asleep i hate it
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PitBully
adult
2
 
If this were a food, it would be considered junk food
fun?puppies romping around acting stereotypes? The pup named B-dawg acts like some white kid trying all his effort 4stereotypical black gangster. Oh wait, is it because the voice actor for B-dawg actually IS is a white kid? It has also offended those of the Buddhist faith with the pup, Buddha whose owner is a white kid livin ina asian style home, who also somehow can speak in chinese??? that doesnt make any sense! the Computer generated effects are bad, i have seen better from a high school student. the mouths of the puppies while talking are not believable, the puppies just stand there with faces of no expression while their mouths move a do the talking. Overall this is a poor quality movie. If you want to see good animal movie, i suggest Babe, Homeward Bound, and the original Air Bud (rather than this terrible spin-off).
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potatoe.head
kid, 5 years old
3
 
A bit of harmless fun
Talking dogs, rockets, the moon and a few fart jokes. Should keep the kids entertained for 1 1/2 hours.
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kittykaters12
kid, 13 years old
6
 
OK, fine, Iffy
It's OK, and it's 10x better then the first Buddies Movie. It does include to much potty humor like last time, but it did get a little better.
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bookhook
kid, 10 years old
5
 
CUTE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE this movie. Two of my favorite things: space and cute little golden retreiver puppies. I don't think I even have anything bad to say about this film.
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Awesome_O
teen, 15 years old
5
 
If I were working for the MPAA...
...I would give this PG for crude and rude humor. It was boring and not appropriate for the audience it is targeted at. Deserves a PG at least.
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TopazT
parent of 4 year old
3
 
nice puppy movie
The plot is pretty much a formula plot, but it's a cute formula, and the puppies are cute. Fortunately, the "pull his paw" jokes mostly went over my three-year-old's head: that potty humor is the only thing I found slightly objectionable about it. There were a couple of tense moments about the puppies' safety that were just a little bit scary for my little one, but not too much to watch. Nice focus on cooperation among the puppies, their Russian dogmonaut friend, and the ferret at Ground Control. Sparked some curiosity about space at our house, and wasn't painful for parents to sit through.
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Doglover223
kid, 12 years old
6
 
Best Buddies Movie!!
I love all buddies movies but this one was my favorite it was so entertaining to watch with my little brother!! And I love any movie with dogs and space in it!
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F-Zero studios
teen, 14 years old
2
 
Perfect for outer space lovers
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