 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Spooky Buddies
- Review Date: September 20, 2011
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Halloween puppy movie might be too scary for youngest kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this entry in the Buddies series is intended as a humorous Halloween scare fest for kids. Though lighthearted and far-fetched overall, there are still many scenes that might be too frightening for the youngest audiences. this is a spooky story with lots of dark, ominous music and special effects, as well as two villains who are sinister evil-doers bent on power and mischief. The beloved "buddies" and their child companions are in exaggerated danger throughout. They're chased, threatened, captured, turned to stone, and, in some cases, they vanish. There are also pratfalls, visits to a graveyard, a haunted house, black cats, rats, zombies, flying villains, explosions, and fires. Some potty humor, too.
What's the story?
Seventy-five years have passed since the legendary Warwick Warlock (Harland Williams) and his partner-in-crime, The Halloween Hound, were foiled in their quest for ultimate power over the town of Fernfield. Now on this Halloween night, when the moon is full and the town is chock-full of holiday costumes and shenanigans, the villains return from the past. They need Warwick's special magic wand, his book of spells, and the souls of five puppies to cast their magic spell and finally accomplish their evil plan. But young Billy (Skyler Gisondo), his friends, and their adorable puppy buddies -- along with a mysterious grave-digger (Rance Howard) -- are determined to foil the Warlock and the Hound once again.
Is it any good?
Scarier than the previous "Buddy" movies, this Halloween-themed story of mayhem and black magic may prove to be fun for die-hard fans of the puppies (who have smaller roles than the human children in this episode).
But overall, this mildly entertaining, nonsensical tale with cheesy effects and amateurish, over-the-top performances by almost everyone has little sincerity and even less charm and humor. What's more, the film's inclusion of supernatural Halloween lore (ghosts, haunted houses, monsters, fierce animals, spells, etc.) may be frightening for very young or sensitive kids.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the differences between make-believe violence and real violence. What are some of the ways you can tell what's real and what isn't? What effects do movies use to make things scary? What real things frighten you?
Talk about the choices the characters make. Have you ever had to choose between obeying someone and doing what you know is right?
Billy and his friends didn't get any help from their teacher or parents. Is this realistic? Who will listen to you and pay attention when you have a problem?
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AGE
Disappointed
We were so happy we had it in time for my son's 6th birthday. It's always hard to find things that are for halloween but are not too scary. We turned it off after the first 15 minutes and even that was too much. The scary looking, glowing eyed, evil dog sucking in the puppies souls as payment for a portal to the underworld in order to unleash all the underworld creatures on Fernfield?! I screened the rest alone with my husband and it was mostly a story with the kids and not very much of the buddies. It had too much scary imagery, music and sorcery for me. We won't keep this movie. Although we really like all the other buddy movies, this one is not appealing.
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AGE
spooky buddies
i like this movie! i'm 16 years old
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Kid, 6 years old
October 29, 2011
AGE
Disappointed Mom and Son
My 5 year old son didn't like this movie (he's almost 6) because it was "scary." He didn't like the mean, red-eyed dog, and was really disturbed by the puppies souls being stolen. He was so disturbed that he decided that our dog could no longer go outside. Disappointing.....
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AGE
Too scary for little kids, too dumb for bigger kids
WAY too scary for a buddies movie. If you are considering letting your kids watch Harry Potter movies, this would be a good way to see if they're ready. This movie works for kids who want to REALLY be scared - but not for kids who love watching the puppies. The puppies are almost completely absent in this one, and there are almost no laughs - except for an occasional adult joke. NOT good for kids under 8 (although my almost-8-year-old was terrified, too). My 11-year-old kept saying, 'I can't believe this isn't rated PG.' The parents turning into zombies was unfathomable. What were these people thinking? And to make matters worse, the movie simply isn't any good - so even big kids probably shouldn't bother. The film's only redeeming value is that Tim Conway did the voice of the ol' bloodhound, originally done by Don Knotts - and did a great job. It it's worth watching for five minutes of Tim Conway, try it. Otherwise, skip it.
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AGE
Way scarier than it sounds... definetly not for anyone under age 8.
I got this movie for my 7 year old sister's birthday and she was so scared when she was watching this. overall, it was a good story but it was not appropriatly rated G. It should definetly be a PG.
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AGE
Surprised at the storyline
My husbands and I were surprised at this film when compared to the other "Buddy" franchise films. Our 4 and 6 yr old daughters were terrified of the Halloween hound and how it ate the souls of puppies!
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AGE
Too scary for little kids.
It is too scary and the themes are "above" young children. It may be good for older children but way too scary for young children. My twins are 4.5 and they usually love the "Buddies" movies. This one was too much for them. About halfway in, they were covering their heads and one started saying, "Turn it off! Turn it off!" I fast-forwarded to the end so they could see everyone was alive and well. Only then did they stop crying. I think I'm going to shelf this DVD for the next 4-5 years.
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Kid, 11 years old
November 13, 2011
AGE
spooky spooky buddies
I would rate it PG. SCARY!!!! I am 11 years old and even I thought it was scary. It was also sad. That night, I went to bed early and dug my face in the pillow. (i was sooo sad.) I am thankful that I have a non-sacrificed dog. When there was a scene with the mirror saying Halloween hound 3 times, a creepy dog with green, glowing eyes appeared. In the begging of the movie, a wizard stole and sacrificed a little boys dog with 5 other dogs.
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AGE
Really good for 9/10 and up.
My children 10 & 13 love this movie. I have to admit for the Buddies series this one is pretty cute for Halloween. There are some scenes that may be a bit intense for younger viewer.
But, overall I found this movie to be well done.
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AGE
I wish I had watched this before letting my daughter watch with me.
This is a very dark edition of AirBuddies. We watched this at my daughter's elementary school. I was glad to be there to reassure my daughter yet I had to spoil the ending for her because she was so concerned about the dogs.
The beginning five minutes and last 20-30 mins are VERY intense for any kid under, at the very least, age 8. However, I feel with theme content this should really be rated for tweens not lower elementary. AirBuddies should have left this a light hearted tale since the plot is really geared to the preschool to lower elementary age groups.
I did like that the kids were focused on setting things right once they realized what had happened 50+ years before. They were realistic in that not all kids are perfect and sometimes have the wrong attitude or perception of older people as well as their peers.
Take out the intense spooky theme and this would make a great addition to my 6yo's collection.
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, holidays |
| Studio: | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment |
| Director: | Robert Vince |
| Cast: | Harland Williams, Rance Howard, Skyler Gisondo |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 88 minutes |
| DVD release date: | September 20, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
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