Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch

Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch
Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch
	DVD cover art
Directed by	Robert Vince
Screenplay by	Sara Sutton ; Stephanie Isherwood ; Anne Vince ; Anna McRoberts
Story by	Robert Vince
Based on	Characters; by Paul Tamasy ; Aaron Mendelsohn ; Kevin DiCicco
Produced by	Anna McRoberts ; Robert Vince
Starring	Kevin Zegers ; Caitlin Wachs ; Cynthia Stevenson ; Molly Hagan ; Patrick Cranshaw
Cinematography	Steve Adelson
Edited by	Kelly Herron ; Jason Pielak
Music by	Brahm Wenger ; Eric Rohm
Production; companies	Dimension Films ; Keystone Family Pictures
Distributed by	Buena Vista Home Entertainment (United States and most territories) ; Seville Pictures (Canada)
Release date	June 18, 2002;
Running time	93 minutes
Countries	United States; Canada
Language	English

Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch (also known as Air Bud 4) is a 2002 sports comedy film directed by Robert Vince. It is the fourth film in the Air Bud series and the final one to feature any cast members from the original film.

Plot

Josh Framm is off to his first year of college and Buddy has stayed behind with Josh's little sister, Andrea, and the rest of the family. Jackie and Patrick have recently welcomed Josh and Andrea's half-brother Noah. Andrea, attempting to fit in with her junior high classmates, decides to join the baseball team. Buddy also has gained the uncanny ability to play baseball.

Just as the season is settling in, a terrible discovery is made — many local athletically talented dogs have mysteriously started disappearing with the help of the dognappers' little helper, Rocky Raccoon. It turns out the dognappers were researchers who were dognapping them because they thought they had a special gene that would enable them to play sports. Buddy must find them and make it to the major leagues as he goes to bat for the Anaheim Angels.

Cast

Kevin Zegers - Josh Framm
Caitlin Wachs - Andrea Framm
Cynthia Stevenson - Jackie Framm Sullivan
Richard Karn - Dr. Patrick Sullivan
Molly Hagan - Coach Crenshaw
Shayn Solberg - Tom Stewart
Hannah Marof and Emma Marof - Noah Sullivan
Chantal Strand - Tammy
Jay Brazeau - Professor Roger Siles
Frank C. Turner - Carlton
Doug Funk - Mailman Phil / Announcer
Jim Hughson - Announcer
Patrick Cranshaw - Sheriff Bob
Ellen Kennedy - Wilma, Tammy's Mother
Nick Harrison - Ump
Jeremy Mersereau - Dog-Hating Fan (uncredited)
Shooter as Buddy
Kevin Dunn as the voice of Buddy / Air Bud (uncredited)
George Lopez as the voice of Rocky the Raccoon (uncredited)
Bob Saget as the voice of Adult Josh Framm / Narrator (uncredited)
Jordy Cunningham - World Series Pitcher (uncredited)
Todd Allan - World Series Catcher/Right Fielder (uncredited)

Release

Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch was released directly to DVD and VHS on June 18, 2002 by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.^[2] It was reissued by Disney on DVD on June 16, 2008 in a double-pack alongside Air Bud: Spikes Back. Mill Creek Entertainment reissued the film on January 14, 2020 on a 2-disc boxset, also containing other Air Bud films owned by Air Bud Entertainment.^[3]

All five Air Bud films, including Seventh Inning Fetch, arrived on Disney+ on October 1, 2023.^[4]

Reception

Common Sense Media praised the dogs as being "terrific", but complained that "the writing is weak, the plot is transparent, the characters are clichés, and the situations are ridiculous".^[5] Video Business said the film "is a lively outing filled with easily understood characters, colorful sets and costumes and a plot with very few complications".^[6] The Video Librarian said the film was "the runt of the litter" and was basically "ham-handed slapstick ... and all the bases are covered in this lightweight comedy, but in such formulaic fashion that we cannot recommend it".^[7] Film critic Scott Hettrick of The Los Angeles Times said the film "is a relatively weak installment, even within the confines of this lightweight live-action family series".^[8]

Notes

^ Under Walt Disney Home Entertainment imprint.

References

^ "Seville Pictures prepares for new growth". playbackonline.ca. January 20, 2003. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
^ Wilson, Staci Layne (2008). Animal Movies Guide. p. 243. ISBN 978-0-9675185-3-4.
^ "Air Bud Collection".
^ Schwartz, Ryan (September 29, 2023). "The Air Bud Movies Are Coming to Disney+ — Whether John Oliver Likes It or Not". TVLine. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
^ Wenk, Sarah (2004). "Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch Movie Review". Common Sense Media.
^ McClain, Buzz (April 22, 2002). "Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch". Video Business. Vol. 22, no. 16. p. 19.
^ Benson, K. Lee (May 1, 2002). "Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch". The Video Librarian.
^ Hettrick, Scott (June 14, 2002). "Buddy's back in game, but this time it's baseball". South Florida Sun - Sentinel. Los Angeles Times. p. 27.