Snow Buddies covers some of the same territory by bringing the Buddies into Alaska, where they help a young boy realize some big dreams. Don't think they end up in the frozen north on purpose, though. That hungry pup, Budderball, strands them there after an ice-cream truck escapade. They quickly realize that they can do something to help the boy and his dog, Shasta, while they make their way to the airport that will get them back home to their parents and their kids. Madcap antics are never far away when you have a team of five puppies leashed up to a boy-sized sled, mushing across the wilds of Alaska. It's just crazy enough to work...
The formula has worked well for all the "Bud" movies, going back to Air Bud in 1997. Put some cute dogs in front of kids and show the dogs doing cute things with kids, and you've got a winning formula. When the dogs talk, it gets even better. The animation of the dogs' mouths moving in Snow Buddies isn't very good, but it's good enough to delight kids. The overall effects aren't really well done and the movie is filled with amateur touches in editing, camera work, sound, you name it... Going back to the sugary snack analogy, no kid will care about any of this once they see these five pups rollicking around. Once you get over the sheer inanity of it all, you might even chuckle at the characterization of each dog and the voice-acting. B-Dawg has the hip-hop style, Buddha likes to meditate, Mudbud doesn't like to be clean, Rosebud is a fashion-plate, and Budderball has a stomach as big as his eyes. Shasta, the Husky pup, is a nice addition for this movie and has the most amazing eyes... he's actually a really neat-looking dog. All the tricks that the dogs do are cool, but it takes the kind of serious suspension of disbelief that only a kid can muster to actually find enjoyment in Snow Buddies. Unlike some Disney flicks that try to throw in adult jokes and achieve a timeless quality, Snow Buddies is a momentary drop of kiddie sweetness. The DVD has plenty of extras to help immerse your child in the Buddies' world, so expect to keep this one on rotation for a while. It's a double-edged sword, really; kids will love you for bringing Snow Buddies home, but you'll start to wonder if these Buddies may be actually draining your child's intelligence... Don't worry, this is just the children's version of Dumb & Dumber.
