Air Bud: World Pup

**Air Bud: World Pup** is a 2000 American live-action film directed by Bill Bannerman. It is the third film in the Air Bud series.

## Plot

Teenager Josh Framm's mother, Jackie, has just married her veterinarian boyfriend, Dr. Patrick Sullivan. Josh and his best friend, Tom Stewart, just made their school's soccer team when their coach reveals that their team will become co-ed. Josh meets Emma Putter, an attractive, wealthy girl who just moved to Fernfield from England after her mother's death, who will not only be playing on his soccer team, but also has a golden retriever named Molly, who Buddy also finds attractive. Emma invites Josh to a party at her house and Tom arrives dressed up like a British soldier and looking quite silly wearing a kilt. At the same time, things work out between Buddy and Molly and they become infatuated on the second floor in Emma's house. Josh's sister, Andrea Framm and her best friend, Tammy, want to scope out what's really going on at the party. Molly quickly has puppies with Buddy. Next, it is discovered that Buddy also has the uncanny ability to play soccer. However, the soccer committee decided on the recommendation of chairman Jack Stearns to ban the Timberwolves from the soccer league all because they had Buddy on their team.

The Timberwolves were given two options: either remove Buddy from their team or remove their team from the league (either way, the Springbrook Spartans, the team Jack serves as coach of, would have rectified their 3-1 loss to the Timberwolves). Knowing Buddy was the star player, they naturally quit the league. When Jack's son, Spartans all-star captain Steve Stearns, learns that the Timberwolves have been banned from the league, he's outraged and confronts his father, leading to Jack calling Timberwolves coach Montoya and informing him that, after careful consideration, the committee had a change of heart and the Timberwolves were back in the league. Buddy has a uniform and is on the roster, leading Josh's soccer team to the state championship against the Spartans. However, trouble ensues when Buddy and Molly's six new-born puppies are kidnapped by a man called Snerbert, who wants to sell them. Once they are caught by Josh, Andrea, Emma, and Snerbert's assistant, Webster, the butler Emma's father, Geoffrey, hired to help care for Molly during her pregnancy, threw Snerbert under the bus by revealing the motive for the kidnapping: Snerbert wanted to get rich, while Webster just wanted a puppy, something he always wanted since childhood. Webster subsequently offers to drive Andrea, Josh, Emma and Buddy to the stadium, which the Timberwolves were losing because Emma, Josh and Buddy were missing, while an army of dogs stayed behind to make sure Snerbert didn't try to go anywhere. The Timberwolves subsequently win the championship thanks to a game-winning goal by Buddy. Afterwards, Buddy helps the United States women's national soccer team win the FIFA Women's World Cup in a penalty shootout against Norway.

## Cast and Characters

* Kevin Zegers as Josh Framm
* Martin Ferrero as Snerbert
* Dale Midkiff as Dr. Patrick Sullivan
* Caitlin Wachs as Andrea Framm
* Chilton Crane as Jackie Framm-Sullivan
* Brittany Paige Bouck as Emma Putter
* Shayn Solberg as Tom Stewart
* Miguel Sandoval as Coach Montoya
* Chantal Strand as Tammy
* Duncan Regehr as Geoffrey Putter
* Briana Scurry as Herself
* Brandi Chastain as Herself
* U.S. Women's National Soccer Team as Themselves
* Alexander Ludwig as Cameo
* Don McMillan as Webster

## Production

Shooting took place in Vancouver. The soccer field and red brick buildings in the background are part of Shaughnessy Elementary School.

## Release

The movie was released directly to DVD and VHS on December 12, 2000 by Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment continued its line of Air Bud Special Edition DVDs with the release of Air Bud: World Pup Special Edition on June 16, 2010.

Mill Creek Entertainment reissued the movie on January 14, 2020 on a 2-disc boxset also containing the other Air Bud movies owned by Air Bud Entertainment.

## Reception

Michael Scheinfeld from Common Sense Media gave the film four stars out of five, saying the film "has a big heart and positive values involving sharing, cooperation, and friendship, but it never gets preachy or sappy".