Santa Buddies (2009), The Search for Santa Paws (2010), and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups (2012)

Sequels, reboots, and remakes are all the rage in the film world. Each is a way to continue an intellectual property while, hopefully, getting an audience to stick around. If audiences were engaged with a character’s story the first time, they should be interested in the continued tales of that character. At least, that’s how studios see it. They continue to turn out these movies in the hopes that their line of thinking is true. In many cases, it is. That’s franchise filmmaking in a nutshell.

Another way that an intellectual property could continue, and one that might technically be the spawning of a new intellectual property, is the spin-off. This concept is much more prevalent in television than in film. A character gets introduced in one show before getting their own show where they are the star. Sometimes, that could be a character who was on the show for a long time, such as Frasier Crane being on Cheers for nine seasons before becoming the star of his own eleven season show. Or there could be a backdoor pilot, where characters are introduced in one television show for an episode or two before beginning their own stories on their own show. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation did this with characters who would be the stars of CSI: Miami and CSI: Miami did this with characters who would be the stars of CSI: New York.

Spin-offs aren’t as common in films, though there have been some prominent examples. Get Him to the Greek was a spin-off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Annabelle and The Nun were spin-offs of The Conjuring. The Scorpion King was a spin-off of The Mummy. Some spin-offs create franchises in themselves. The Scorpion King had four sequels in the eighteen years since it was released. And then there is the rare occasion where a spin-off could lead to another spin-off. That is where this week’s three movies come into play.

A little background must be given first. That background began with America’s Funniest Home Videos in the 1990s. One of the videos featured in the show had a dog named Air Buddy who could play basketball by bouncing the ball off his nose. The dog then went on to be featured on The Late Show with David Letterman multiple times before a movie was made. Air Buddy played himself, now part of a children’s basketball team.

The movie was a success and spawned a five-film franchise where the lead character dog played a bunch of different sports. Air Buddy passed before the sequels were made, however, and other dogs stepped in to take on the role. The character played football, soccer, baseball, and volleyball before retiring from sports. Why did Buddy retire? He was going to usher in a spin-off franchise that followed his puppies.

Air Buddies was the sixth film in the franchise, and the first of the spin-off Buddies series of films. The dogs could now talk. The movies followed a litter of five puppies that Buddy fathered. Each puppy had a distinct personality, and they went on wacky adventures. Through the first three films, they found the children they would grow up with, they helped a child win a dog sledding competition, and they went into outer space. That was a lot for five puppies to do. They weren’t done there.

The fourth film in the series was Santa Buddies. Budderball (Josh Flitter), Rosebud (Liliana Mumy), Mudbud (Ty Panitz), Buddha (Field Cate), and B-Dawg (Skyler Gisondo) were back for another adventure. It was the Christmas season, and the Buddies were disillusioned about the idea of Santa Claus and his workshop at The North Pole. Their thoughts would shift after meeting Puppy Paws (Zachary Gordon), the son of Santa’s dog and Christmas partner, Santa Paws (Tom Bosley). The Buddies worked together to protect Puppy Paws and bring about the Christmas spirit that would keep Christmas from disappearing forever.

Santa Buddies was essentially the film version of a backdoor pilot. It brought in a whole new film universe in The North Pole. Santa Claus (George Wendt) was worried about the Christmas icicle, a magical icicle that was melting because people and dogs were not believing in Christmas as much as they used to. He was always around Santa Paws. He had two head elves, a human named Eli (Danny Woodburn) and a Jack Russell Terrier named Eddy (Richard Kind). These characters and the newly introduced North Pole location would set the stage for a spin-off of the Buddies franchise, which was already a spin-off.

The Buddies were around through the events of Santa Buddies simply because it was a Buddies movie. It wasn’t their story, though. They just happened to be along for the ride. The story was about Puppy Paws learning to be one with Christmas. He had been fighting against the tradition of The North Pole. His trip to Fernfield to see the Buddies taught Puppy Paws that he shouldn’t be pushing Christmas away. He should be celebrating the spirit of Christmas and inspiring others to do the same. He should be following in his father’s footsteps to keep Christmas alive for another generation.

The popularity of Santa Buddies led to a spin-off series focused on characters from The North Pole. The Search for Santa Paws was a prequel about the origin of the Santa Paws character and his connection to Santa Claus. Eli (Danny Woodburn) and Eddy (Richard Kind) took a stuffed dog to the Christmas icicle, bringing it to life to be best friends with Santa Claus (Richard Riehle). Santa loved his new friend, who he called Paws (Zachary Gordon). They did everything together. When they travelled to New York after the death of Mr. Hucklebuckle, a Santa ambassador, Santa was hit by a car and lost his memory. Paws was lost in New York. Only through his new friendship with a young girl named Quinn (Kaitlyn Maher) and another girl in her orphanage, Will (Madison Pettis), Paws was able to find Santa Claus and ensure that Christmas would happen.

This second spin-off series built upon what was set up in Santa Buddies. It kept many of the same characters and concepts that had been introduced. Santa Paws, Santa Claus, Eli, and Eddie were all back. The reindeer returned. The North Pole, the workshop, the magic car, and the icicle were all there again. But the movie took the main action out of Fernfield. It was no longer about the world of the Buddies. It was about the world of Santa Claus and Santa Paws. The Search for Santa Paws opened a whole new story world, rather than tying into the movies that it spun off from.

The Search for Santa Paws had a standard story, with a large part of it becoming the blueprint for future Air Bud Entertainment film Russell Madness. That part was about a couple who inherited a toy store and had to run it for one Christmas season before they could sell it. The rest of the movie was filled with Christmas hallmarks such as people falling in love with a store Santa (who just happened to be the real Santa with amnesia), a bunch of orphans looking for new families, and Christmas magic. It was at the same time a part of the Air Bud/Buddies franchise while also becoming its own talking animal thing outside of those series.

That continued in Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups, though the sequel took a much bigger cue from the Buddies movies. One of the most Christmas friendly towns in the world, Pineville, USA, lost a Santa ambassador in the days leading up to Christmas. Without intervention from The North Pole, a new ambassador might not be found, and the Christmas spirit would disappear from the town. Mrs. Claus (Cheryl Ladd) took a trip to Pineville to find a new person to take up the mantle. Noble (Aidan Gemme), Hope (Tatiana Gudegast), Charity (G. Hannelius), and Jingle (Marlowe Peyton), the four puppies of Santa Paws (Tom Everett Scott), sneaked along to prove they were ready to serve the Christmas spirit and inadvertently almost ruined Christmas for the world.

Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups was a continuation of the Santa Paws series of movies, though it harkened back to the Buddies movies in a big way. There was still a story about someone finding the Christmas spirit. In Santa Buddies, that was Puppy Paws. In The Search for Santa Paws, that was Santa Claus himself, after suffering from amnesia. This installment was about a town rediscovering its Christmas spirit after a group of puppies (much like the Buddies!) accidentally conjured it away.

The main problem with Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups was that it paid no attention to the mythology of the films that led into it. Santa Buddies saw Santa Paws as a fully grown dog with one puppy named Puppy Paws. The Search for Santa Paws was a prequel about how Santa Paws became Santa Paws. Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups featured Santa Paws with a litter of puppies with no mention of Puppy Paws. If Puppy Paws were born after and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups took place before Santa Buddies, there would be no dire need for him to take over for his father. Four other puppies would already be filling that position. If Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups took place after Santa Buddies, then there should have been a mention of Puppy Paws. There wasn’t. The only way it could have worked was if the Santa Paws of Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups was the Puppy Paws of Santa Buddies, making the Santa Pups the third generation. But, again, there was nothing to hint at that.

The Santa Paws spin-off series fizzled out after the second film, with the Buddies franchise finishing up only a year later. The second and third series from a franchise helped pushed the franchise to a seventeen-year span, a longer life than most dogs. That was a formidable span for a franchise that started because one dog could bounce a basketball into a net. Nobody could have ever expected that to happen. Seventeen years, two spin-offs, and a total of fourteen movies.

When a movie becomes popular, there are a few ways that it can continue so that a studio can get more money. Remakes, reboots, and sequels are the most common. The spin-off shouldn’t be ruled out, though. It can be as profitable as those other methods. It might be the more unexpected, unlikely scenario, but television has proven how well it can work. Some movies have tried to replicate that success, and a few of them have found it. It’s only a matter of time until the next great spin-off film happens.

Now for a whole bunch of notes:

• Russell Madness (week 382) was mentioned in this post.
• Robert Vince directed all three movies that were the subject of this week’s post. He also directed Air Buddies (week 270), Snow Buddies (week 270), Space Buddies (week 270), and Russell Madness (week 382).
• Danny Woodburn was in all three of this week’s movies. That made him an eight-time Sunday “Bad” Movies actor. His other movies were 30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (week 10), Jingle All the Way (week 160), Lavalantula (week 290), 2 Lava 2 Lantula (week 290), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (week 310).
• Michael Teigen was in Santa Buddies and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups. They were his sixth and seventh Sunday “Bad” Movies. His other five were In the Name of the King: Two Worlds (week 220), Snow Buddies (week 270), Space Buddies (week 270), Far Cry (week 364), and Russell Madness (week 382).
• Josh Flitter was in all three of this week’s movies, plus all three of the previous Air Buddies movies (week 270).
• Christopher Lloyd appeared as a villain in Santa Buddies. He was previously in The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure (week 39), Baby Geniuses (week 50), Foodfight! (week 143), and Dead Before Dawn 3D (week 149). Welcome to the five-timers’ club!
• Another five-timer was Reese Alexander, who appeared in The Search for Santa Paws after showing up in The Marine 3: Homefront (week 30), In the Name of the King: Two Worlds (week 220), Cop and a Half: New Recruit (week 340), and Far Cry (week 364).
• Jay Brazeau joined the five-timers’ club with Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups. He had already appeared in House of the Dead (week 59), Warriors of Virtue (week 88), Snow Dogs (week 322), and Far Cry (week 364).
• Kaitlyn Maher was featured in all of this week’s movies, as well as Free Birds (week 209) and Russell Madness (week 382), putting her in the five-timers’ club.
• The final five-timers’ club inductee was Chris Coppola, who appeared in all three of this week’s movies, Far Cry (week 364), and Russell Madness (week 382).
• C. Ernst Harth has fairly quickly moved up in the Sunday “Bad” Movies recurring actor ranks. His first appearance was in Space Buddies (week 270), and he has since been seen in Dudley Do-Right (week 336), Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (week 390), and now The Search for Santa Paws.
• Diedrich Bader voiced Comet in both The Search for Santa Paws and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups. He was previously in Space Buddies (week 270) and Balls of Fury (week 349).
• Richard Kind voiced Eddy in all three of this week’s movies. He was seen in Sharknado 2: The Second One (week 190).
• Tom Everett Scott was the voice of Santa Paws in Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups. He was also in Parental Guidance (week 27) and voiced Buddy in Air Buddies (week 270) and Snow Buddies (week 270).
• Paul Rae appeared in Air Buddies (week 270), Snow Buddies (week 270), Santa Buddies, and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups.
• Skyler Gisondo and Gig Morton worked on the first three Air Buddies movies (week 270) and Santa Buddies.
• Richard Riehle played Santa Claus in The Search for Santa Paws. He was previously seen in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (week 20) and Dorm Daze 2: College @ Sea (week 40).
• Kathryn Kirkpatrick returned to Sunday “Bad” Movies after Stan Helsing (week 64) and Santa’s Little Helper (week 315).
• Zachary Gordon did voice work in both Santa Buddies and The Search for Santa Paws. He previously worked on Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (week 70).
• Jonathan Morgan Heit also worked on both Santa Buddies and The Search for Santa Paws. He was in Valentine’s Day (week 168), too.
• Ali Hillis was in Beverly Hills Chihuahua (week 70), Santa Buddies, and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups.
• Madison Pettis worked on Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (week 70) and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! (week 70) prior to The Search for Santa Paws.
• Bonnie Somerville returned this week in The Search for Santa Paws and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups after first appearing in 7 Below (week 137).
• Nick Novicki and Mikey Post were in all three of this week’s movies.
• Liliana Mumy voiced Rosebud in Snow Buddies (week 270), Space Buddies (week 270), and Santa Buddies.
• William Samples was in Snow Buddies (week 270) and Santa Buddies.
• Five actors were in both Space Buddies (week 270) and Santa Buddies. They were Field Cate, Nico Ghisi, Ellie Harvie, Quinn Lord, and Sophia Ludwig.
• Genevieve Hannelius, also known as G. Hannelius, was in both The Search for Santa Paws and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups.
• Santa Buddies saw the second appearance of Aramis Knight, who was in Valentine’s Day (week 168).
• George Wendt played Santa Claus in Santa Buddies. He was previously seen in Sandy Wexler (week 231).
• Craig Anton was in Nic and Tristan Go Mega Dega (week 272) and Santa Buddies.
• There was a quick turnaround for Charisse Baker, who appeared in Halloween: Resurrection (week 413) and Santa Buddies.
• Now onto The Search for Santa Paws with Bill Cobbs, who was also in Ed (week 11).
• Wendi-McLendon Covey was the villain of The Search for Santa Paws. She was also one of the moms in The Single Moms Club (week 179).
• Tom McBeath returned from Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (week 284) to be in The Search for Santa Paws.
• Pete Gardner was in The Search for Santa Paws and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (week 310).
• Sunday “Bad” Movies has had a Eric Keenleyside double feature of Christmas movies with The Search for Santa Paws and Santa’s Little Helper (week 315).
• Another Christmas double feature happened with Peter New, who was in Black Christmas (week 368) and The Search for Santa Paws.
• Ameko Eks Mass Carroll and Alex Kliner were each in Russell Madness (week 382) and The Search for Santa Paws.
• Jason Connery was in The Search for Santa Paws after appearing in Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (week 410).
• James Ram Jatten was featured in Santa Buddies and The Search for Santa Paws.
• The mayor of Pineville in Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups was played by Obba Babatundé. He previously appeared in April Fools (week 18).
• George Newburn returned from Theodore Rex (week 223) to work on Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups.
• Trevor Wright was in Air Buddies (week 270) and Pat Finn was in Space Buddies (week 270) before they both showed up in Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups.
• Finally, Tatiana Gudegast had two roles in Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups. She previously showed up in Russell Madness (week 382).
• Have you seen Santa Buddies or the Santa Paws spin-offs? What do you think of them? How do you feel about film spin-offs? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter.
• If you want to suggest a movie for me to watch for a future week of Sunday “Bad” Movies, tell me on Twitter or in the comments. I’m always open to suggestions.
• As always, you can head on over to Instagram to check out Sunday “Bad” Movies. When I’m not as busy as I’ve been this past week, there’s some fun stuff that goes up over there.
• And now for next week. We should be back on schedule next week with the post instead of this releasing on Tuesday because I’ve been very busy stuff. The movie will be a Hallmark movie because of course I’m going to include something like that. Holly’s Holiday will be up next week. Come on back and enjoy whatever I write about that one.