Spooky Buddies Parent Guide
While "Spooky Buddies" may be dressed up for trick-or-treating, parents beware. There are more tricks than treats from this computer-enhanced quintet that dabbles in the occult.
Parent Movie Review
Five golden retriever puppies that speak should be the perfect entertainment for children. But regardless of their previous adventures, these Spooky Buddies aren’t as child friendly as they’ve been in the past.
In 1937, the town of Fernfield comes under attack by a warlock who wants to take over the world by summoning the Halloween Hound (voiced by Diedrich Bader) and a legion of foul spirits from the netherworld. All Warwick (Harland Williams) needs to complete the spell are five Beagle puppies that share the same blood. Unfortunately he only gets four. At the last minute, Pip (voiced by Frankie Jonas) escapes. However, his spirit is pulled from his body and forced to remain inside a haunted house. Meanwhile Warwick and the Hound fall into a mirror where they are imprisoned for the next 75 years.
Fast-forward to present day. Taking a dare, a new generation of puppy buddies stumbles upon the magical mirror and accidently releases the evil warlock and his sidekick on Halloween night.
As the evening progresses, these underage Retrievers meet disembodied spirits, a clairvoyant who introduces them to weegie boards and monstrous spirits from another dimension. The dogs and their child owners also find themselves in perilous situations after Warwick puts the adults in the town under a hypnotic curse.
While Spooky Buddies may be dressed up for trick-or-treating, parents beware. There are more tricks than treats from this computer-enhanced quintet that dabbles in the occult.
Directed by Robert Vince. Starring Diedrich Bader, Ryan Stiles, Debra Jo Rupp, Tim Conway, Frankie Jonas, Harland Williams. Running time: 88 minutes. Updated July 17, 2017
Spooky Buddies
Rating & Content Info
Why is Spooky Buddies rated G? Spooky Buddies is rated G by the MPAA
Violence: Dogs are kidnapped and turned into stone by a warlock who wants their souls. A magical being is summoned. Men are turned into toads. Characters see ghosts. A man scares children in a cemetery. A curse is unleashed and some characters are turned into rats. Characters talk about contacting spirits and using a weegie board. Rats bite a man. Characters are exposed to moments of peril. Spirits of the netherworld are depicted. A man is shot in the stomach with a wand that leaves a smoldering wound. A dog attempts to eat eyeballs.
Sexual Content: Two naked boys hide after being changed back into human beings.
Language: Some name-calling and unkind comments are included in the script.
Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.
Other: Man tells children that a warlock can’t enter a church. A dog passes gas.
Page last updated July 17, 2017
Spooky Buddies Parents' Guide
How is good and evil portrayed in this story? Why is Warwick unable to follow the children into the church? What significance do religious houses play in the plot?
Why do bad guys always want to take over the world? What other ambitions might they pursue?
What bonds are shared between the pet owners and their dogs in this movie? Do you have a pet? What responsibilities come with animal ownership?
Home Video
The most recent home video release of Spooky Buddies movie is September 20, 2011. Here are some details…
Home Video Notes: Spooky Buddies
Release Date: 20 September 2011
Spooky Buddies releases to home video in a 2 Disc Combo Pack (DVD and Blu-ray). Bonus extras include:
- DIGS: Rosebud Edition (A tour of the pup’s home.)
- Music Video: Monster Mash
- Sneak Peak of Treasure Buddies
Related home video titles:
These "Buddies" are the stars of a series of direct-to-home videos. We have reviewed Snow Buddies, one of the other films in this franchise. Another villain discovers that eliminating his archrival has some drawbacks in the animated movie Megamind. Heroic canines play an important role in Bolt, Up and Because of Winn Dixie.