5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
An ordinary day at Fernfield Farms turns extraordinary when Budderball, Mudbud, B-Dawg, Buddha and Rosebud discover mysterious rings that grant them each a unique super power. Before you can say, “Buddies, assemble,” the pups unleash their amazing abilities and race to the rescue when a shape-shifting bully from outer space threatens the planet. But can they succeed in kicking major tail without revealing their new secret identities?
Starring: John Ratzenberger, Michael Teigen, Trey Loney, Veronica Diaz Carranza, Jay BrazeauFamily | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (as download)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It’s hard to believe this all started with “Air Bud.” The 1997 picture has spawned a series of sequels and spin-offs that have transformed a simple tale of a basketball-shooting pooch into cash cow for Disney, who issue a DTV production every year, using the power of puppies to latch on to whatever trend is happening in Hollywood. The dogs have met Santa, searched for buried treasure, and enjoyed Halloween, but now it’s time to suit up in spandex and save the world. “Super Buddies” is the latest in the “Air Buddies” franchise, working with visual effects to turn everyone’s favorite canine pack into caped crusaders, protecting lovable humans from an intergalactic threat. As these things tend to go, kids won’t mind the light action and mild jesting, with the whole production played in an exhaustively cartoon mode to avoid the burden of actual screenwriting. Older viewers may not be as patient, though “Super Buddies” could be of use to die-hard comic book cinema fans unable to wait for the next Marvel or DC endeavor.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation looks like your average HD-shot Disney DTV production, with a tremendously clean image, offering a hint of softness. There's some brightness boosting, leaving blacks unconvincing and prone to crush. Otherwise, overcranked colors are outstanding, with bold primaries making the viewing experience quite pleasant, while engaging hues emerge from superhero costumes and lush farm life. Skintones are natural, with alien green making its intended impression. Fine detail is satisfactory for this type of cinematography, with fabric and set particulars easily surveyed, while animal fur provides a sense of texture to an otherwise CG-slathered enterprise.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is surprisingly active for a family film. Activity from the Super Buddies is greeted with a mild but engaging sense of directional movement, keeping heroic antics alert in the surrounds, which also carry compelling scoring cues and atmospherics. Dialogue exchanges sound crisp and clear, capturing performances with professional skill, while the group dynamic is comfortably separated, never clogging into a mess of conversation. Low-end reveals itself with action sequences, while asteroid threats register heavily. The track doesn't strain itself, supporting the visuals with a healthy blend of voices, scoring, and sound effects.
There is no supplementary material on this disc.
A production like "Super Buddies" is essentially critic-proof, with these pictures made explicitly for children who haven't developed taste in cinema yet. It's a babysitting tool, and while it's not exactly lazy with all the nonsense that needs to be sorted through to find a plot, it's lackluster, trying to cash-in on a trend without aid of sharp writing and exciting direction. However, as uninteresting as "Super Buddies" is, I'm curious to lean where this franchise will go next. Possibly time travel? "War Buddies," with the dogs battling Nazis seems like a logical continuation, and I can't imagine a family around who wouldn't pay for the privilege to watch that.
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