Snow Buddies parents guide

Snow Buddies Parent Guide

Overall B

Following in the paw prints of their famous golden retriever father Air Bud, the five Snow Buddies find adventure in Alaska when the pups try to help a young boy (Dominic Scott Kay) and his pet husky compete in a dog sled race.

Violence B
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use A

Why is Snow Buddies rated G? The MPAA rated Snow Buddies G

Parent Movie Review

What talks, walks on four legs, and plays every sport known to man? If you guessed Buddy, the amazing Golden Retriever from the Air Bud franchise, you’re right. Unfortunately, the series is becoming old news in the world of Disney television, (the original movie came out in 1997, and has been followed up with a number of sequels). Thank goodness for his five fluffy offspring, the “Buddies,” whose mischief breathes new life into the Air Bud legacy.

Like their dad, Mudbud, Rosebud, Buddah, Budderball, and B-Dawg, (voiced by Henry Hodges, Lillian Mumy, Jimmy Bennett, Josh Flitter, and Skyler Gisondo,) have an uncanny aptitude for sports. They live with their parents in Fernfield Washington, where it’s warm even in December. And they have everything a puppy could want. But it’s not long before these pint-sized heroes are getting into trouble.

Using his stomach before his brain, Budderball, the most food-oriented of the pack, spots the open door of an ice-cream truck and can’t resist. In an attempt to persuade their bottomless sibling to abandon his snacking in favor of a game of hide-and-seek, the remaining Buddies are unwittingly trapped inside. Before they know what has happened, the stowaways find themselves being shipped to the farthest reaches of the country: Ferntiuktuk, Alaska.

A long time and a lot of frozen dessert later, the purebred pups arrive at their destination. But the fur balls don’t warm up to their icy environment until they meet Adam (Dominic Scott Kay) and Shasta (voiced by Dylan Sprouse). Listening to the heart-melting tale of the boy and his ever-loyal husky, the five-some learn the youngster is discouraged because he would rather be dog sledding than playing hockey like everyone else. With a little bit of teamwork, and a lot of impossible canine stunts, the Buddies decide to form the sled team their newfound friends has always dreamed of—right in time for the biggest (and most dangerous) race of the year!

Although the film is almost free of content issues, parents should watch out for some mild bathroom humor involving the interesting smells resulting from eating too many dairy products. Also of concern is the depiction of a devious dogsledder (John Kapelos) who is in the habit of using less than legal methods to dispatch competitors. Scenes where he whacks racers or sabotages sleds may be frightening for little ones. And putting a slightly sad shade on the story are discussions of a puppy that lost his parents in a tragic accident.

This movie is aimed at the six and under crowd, so you might not expect it to carry a more in-depth theme like the complexities of dealing with over protective parents. This messages, plus the positive portrayals of teamwork, friendship and overcoming odds may give parents a few things to chew over with their own little nippers after the credits roll.

Starring Dominic Scott Kay, John Kapelos, Lise Simms.. Updated

Snow Buddies
Rating & Content Info

Why is Snow Buddies rated G? Snow Buddies is rated G by the MPAA

Although low on content, Snow Buddies does include mild name-calling and potty humor. Also, be aware of some rough play on the racecourse, like competitors being knocked off sleds, sliding down snow banks or breaking through lake ice. One of the puppies is named after a deity and it’s personality pokes fun at a few religious stereotypes, which may be offensive to some people.

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Snow Buddies Parents' Guide

Shasta mentions that it’s not the size of the sled dog that counts, but how hard the dog is willing to try. How do you think this attitude helped the Buddies accomplish their goals?

When B-Dawg is frightened, Rosebud assures him that it’s okay to be scared. Why does coming to terms with our fear help us in our lives?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Snow Buddies movie is February 29, 2008. Here are some details…

Blu-ray Notes: Snow Buddies

Blu-ray Release Date: 31 January 2012

Snow Buddies releases on Blu-ray on January 31, 2012.

DVD Notes: Snow Buddies

DVD Release Date: 5 February 2008

Snow Buddies races directly onto DVD with the following bonus extras in tow: Buddy Bites (the Buddies provide a behind-the-scenes commentary), The Magic of Visual Effects and Dogumentary, plus a music video (by Mitchel Musso) and bloopers. Audio tracks are available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (English, French and Spanish).

Related home video titles:

The movie Racing Stripes shows a zebra that also overcomes incredible odds to beat the competition. Eight Below is another frigid story of sled dogs with the will to survive.