Blu-ray Movie Reviews

After stowing away on a school field trip to witness the test launch of a spacecraft, the Buddies—a group of dog friends featured in several other movies—sneak aboard to explore the ship, but disaster strikes when they are rocketed into space.

Disney is known for quality family films, but the quality here is lacking, especially with the lackluster screenplay. Sure, the dogs are cute as can be, but after the first few "oohs" and "aahs," the cuteness wears out and what's left isn't that entertaining—even my two kids thought it was boring compared to the other films in the popular kids franchise.

Although the entertainment value is low, at least it looks great! Resolution is top-notch with amazing detail and clarity, solid black levels, and rich color saturation. My only complaint is with the CGI, which looks unfinished and mediocre compared to other Disney productions. Still, with a direct-to-video production, I guess my expectations should be lower.

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack offers up solid dialog, decent ambience, and some impressive dynamics—especially when the Buddies are rocketed into space. The pedestrian score doesn't elevate the production much, but it will certainly please the intended audience.

The BD50 disc is chock full of supplements that include bloopers, a music video, pop-up movie facts, and a behind-the-scenes featurette with the cute dogs. The BD-Live features include a game, movie chat, and movie mail, and participants will receive Disney Movie Reward points for partaking in the activities, which can be redeemed for avatars and some downloadable extras.

As a father with two kids, I like it when studios release family-friendly movies, but they need to be entertaining for everyone involved. Sadly, Space Buddies is anything but that, even for my two kids (10 and 12). Regardless, it sounds pretty good and looks even better, and it offers some interesting bonus materials to keep the younglings busy for a couple of hours.

Release Date: February 3, 2009
Studio: Walt Disney Studios

Movie: 4/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Panasonic DMP-BD55

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 Amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics