Space Buddies (Disney Blu-ray & DVD)

 

Picture: B+/B     Sound: B+/B     Extras: C     Film: C-

 

 

What is it that people find so funny about putting animals into situations that humans are involved in?  The latest of these popular trends is called Space Buddies in which some adorable puppies are inserted into the space program, fly through space, land on the moon, and accomplish all the miraculous things that mankind has, making it more bizarre than ever watching some furry pups in a recreated exploration of space.  Kids will love it, parents will tolerate it, and in the end we have another forgettable film that in years will only seem all the more dated and wacky than ever before.

 

The video presentation of the film is adequate, and even at times impressively solid 1080p High Definition transfer framed at the 1.78 X 1 ratio.  Close up scenes look particular sharp and well rendered while some of the wide shots appear a little less detailed and colors are far less stunning.  It might be fair to say that the entire film has a softer look to it overall even though whites and black levels look solid, contrast and color are solid, but the DVD looks inferior in all categories and is incredibly soft by comparison.   The soundtrack is a bit more impressive as this almost-action film demonstrates lots of activity throughout utilizing the DTS-HD Master Audio (MA lossless) option on the Blu-ray.  The DVD does not come close with a lossy Dolby Digital option that after listening to the DTS on the Blu-ray makes you wonder why they even tried! 

 

There are bloopers, extended material, trivia tracks, and some other material included that the kids will enjoy, but this film will likely leave little to be desired and in years to come when your kids are old enough to see beyond the silliness they’ll wonder why they were ever fans to begin with.

 

 

-   Nate Goss