The Buddies are back for another direct to video release with the Blu-ray release of Santa Buddies by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on November 24th.

This time around Santa is in trouble with the the Christmas icicle that stores the Christmas magic melting due to people and dogs alike losing the Christmas spirit.

To make matters worse, Puppy Paws has no desire to take over from Santa Paws and hitches a ride to Washington to be a normal puppy and hang out with the Air Buddies.

However instead of fitting in and being normal, Puppy Paws causes chaos for the Buddies.

To make matters worse, Stan Cruge the dog catcher is on the prowl, and Puppy Paws is his prey.

It will be down to the Buddies to spring Puppy Paws from the pound, get him back to the North Pole, and to save Christmas for everyone…!

While the storyline is somewhat predictable, I am sure it will be enjoyed by the younger members of the family.

The cast includes the voice talent of Tom Bosley and Richard Kind, George Wendt as Santa and Christopher Lloyd as the dog catcher Stan Kruge.

Santa Buddies was directed by Robert Vince, who has been writing, directing and producing the Buddies series for the last few years.

As with the other Buddy adventures, the movie received rough treatment from the critics, with an IMDb score of 2.7/10.

The video on the disc is an AVC 1080p encode at 33 Mbps, and is presented at 1.78:1 aspect ratio, filling the HDTV screen.

Take a look at the details page for Santa Buddies to see full resolution PNG screen captures taken directly from the disc.

The main audio is lossless DTS-HD Master Audio with 5.1 channels - 24 bits resolution at 48 kHz.

The disc is a dual layer BD50, with 34.3 GB used and is coded for Region A.

Special features on this release include BD Live Network features and a Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town music video.

The main special feature is a Sing Along feature - just follow the bouncing paw and sing a selection of three Christmas Carols with the Buddies.

The Santa Buddies release also comes with a DVD of the movie for legacy players.

While it won’t win any Oscars, Santa Buddies is a heart warming holiday story for the younger members of the family, and the Blu-ray release from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a nice way to share your home theater with the family for the Holiday Season.

The retail price is $39.99, or order it right now at Amazon for $23.99, saving 40%!

Extras:

• Sing Along To Christmas Carols With The Buddies
• Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town Music Video

Synopsis:

Disney’s irresistible talking puppies return in a heartwarming holiday adventure! Take a fantastic journey with your beloved Buddies to the magical world of the North Pole! Join Budderball, B-Dawg, Rosebud, Buddha and Mudbud in this classic Christmas tale that will have you believing in miracles. When Puppy Paws, the feisty son of Santa Paws, forgets the true meaning of the season, it’s up to the Buddies to remind him that the true meaning of Christmas spirit is about things you can’t wrap in a box or tie with a bow. Unleash a stockingful of Christmas cheer for you and your family with this fun-filled film, featuring never-before-seen bonus materials. It’s sure to become a holiday classic - especially in Blu-ray High Definition.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 11:39 pm and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.