Posted: 10/11/2009

Aussie and Ted’s Great Adventure

(2009)

by Laura Tucker

While it’s not the type of excellent adventure Bill and Ted had, Aussie and Ted still have themselves quite an adventure. Yet, they don’t start off on their journey as friends, quite the opposite.

Aussie (voiced by James Ryan) is the family dog of the Brooks family. They’ve fallen on some hard times and have to leave their family home, but still want to be sure they reward their two kids, Laney and Eric (Alyssa Shafer and Leo Howard), for their good grades. Michael visits the shop of his old family friend, Mei Mei (Emily Kuroda), and she gives him a very special gift she has prepared for Laney, a teddy bear that seems to have special powers.

Laney, of course, loves the special gift, but Aussie feels a little put out. It used to be him that snuggled and spent all waking hours with the young girl, but now it’s Ted, the teddy bear. Ted begins to glow and explains that’s what happens when he feels love. Aussie decides to hide the stuffed animal, thinking he can regain his rightful place with Laney. Instead, he finds he can’t stand to see her so sad. Once be goes outside to dig Ted up again, he finds the bear has been raked up with the leaves by the gardener.

Aussie tracks Ted to the gardener’s house, steals the bear back and takes off again, determined to make Laney a happy girl again. He gets waylaid by several things, not to mention the dog of his dreams, Cricket, and the bully dog at the park, Recess. Each time he loses the bear and has to search and rescue him again. Once they finally reach home, they find the family has moved and is staying on Aunt Zelda’s (Beverly D’Angelo) farm, reminiscent of Homeward Bound.

It all combines for a unique story and is a great family film, but I can’t see older ages watching it without sitting next to a youngster, unlike Homeward Bound. Most of this is because of the teddy bear. While the dog holds up with older audiences, you can’t say the same for the stuffed bear.

Laura Tucker Laura Tucker is the webmaster of Reality Shack, and its accompanying Reality Shack Blog, and is a freelance writer providing reviews of movies and television, among other things, at Viewpoints. She is also an Associate Instructor and 2nd dan black belt in tae kwon do with South Elgin Martial Arts. Laura can be reached at LauraBelle@realityshack.com

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