Buddy Movie Review

“Buddy” is a look at what might have happened if a kid’s show host, a large and lovable plush Unicorn, was actually a cruel and evil murdering fiend. This becomes a twisted Twight Zone or a blighted Black Mirror episode. Under the surface of the bright and happy TV show, there are dark and dangerous things afoot…

 

Starting with the perfect look of the mid 1990’s ‘shot-on-videotape’ look production values, the main show is displayed. It is a look back a kid’s TV program. It is along the lines of “Barney”, or “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse”, with a dash of “Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood”.

 

The leader in this little show is a cute and fuzzy orange unicorn named Buddy. The show is called “It’s Buddy”, and Buddy is the leader in his own little world.Buddy the Unicorn (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) lives for the joy of being close to kids and teaching them.

 

When all the kids join in and do as he says, there is peace and harmony. But when one of the kids does not want to join the ‘Fun Dance Party’, Buddy is taken aback. This one kid would rather read his book. Buddy sends the other kids into the Playhouse. He will handle the little troublemaker.

 

The other kids are surprised that Buddy comes back alone. Where is that other kid? “Oh, I sent him over to ‘Diamond City’, says Buddy. Freddy (played by Delaney Quinn) gets concerned when she sees the other kid’s book in the trash can.

 

The book is covered with blood. She tells one of the other kids, Wade (played by Caleb Williams). They decide to keep an eye out for anything strange. Freddy has a talking backpack, named Strappy (voiced by Patton Oswalt).

 

Other kids, like Oliver (played by Tristan Broders) and Hannah (played by Madison Skyy Polan), do not think that Buddy could ever do anything wrong. But then Wade and Freddy see Buddy attack and strangle the woman who plays the Nurse on the show. Buddy is outraged that these young kids are not listening to him and believing everything that he says. Well, he will have to do something about that!

 

Buddy attacks the kids and they try to escape. Buddy gets Wade before Wade makes it over the fence. The rest of them run into the enchanted, animated forest. But before they left, they had been able to severely harm Buddy. However, every time the ‘ending credits’ roll on the screen – Buddy can heal and he goes back to normal. There is no way for anyone to eliminate a murderous Unicorn off the show.

 

Then, it is a sudden break in the location. It is the real outside world, and there is a family about to go on an adventure. Mostly it will be for the mom, because she realizes that there is something that is missing. Grace (played by Cristin Milioti) has a gnawing feeling that her family is incomplete. He husband, Ben (played by Topher Grace), seems to be supportive and understanding. But Grace is getting some really bad vibes.

 

She remembers that there was a kid who loved their fish. She wonders why there is such a large gap in the age of their two boys. She is concerned that the empty chair at the table is meant for somebody. She goes into full breakdown mode. She sees something on the TV about that old kids show called “It’s Buddy”. But all of her research tells her that show never existed.

 

Grace can see on the TV screen that Buddy is beckoning to her. Ben is not able to see anything. Soon Ben acts as if Grace is not even there. Grace is pulled into the TV set, and she blacks out. Ben never remembers that Grace was ever there, and Grace does not know where she is. Things are getting wild…

 

Freddy, Hannah and Oliver happen to meet some other folks on the road to Diamond City. It is an old grizzled prospector named George (played Clint Howard). He has his companion, a small ventriloquist doll named Willie (voiced by Michael Shannon).

 

They had escaped from the clutches of Buddy many years ago. They tell of the horror stories when Buddy almost tried to kill them also. Just when they think it is safe, Buddy is there and he brings back Freddy, Hannah and Oliver. The other escapees have been dealt with. Nobody will ever see Willie or George ever again!

 

Freddy meets the new person on the show Nurse Grace. Yes, now Grace from the real world is here in the Prison of Unending Cheerfulness. It is Buddy’s world – and he is determined to make sure nobody ever gets away again.

 

However, Freddy has learned those prior lessons that Buddy had taught in prior episode. She has learned lessons about determination, and perseverance, and bonding with your allies. These lessons are good to know, and even better to put into practice.

 

Freddy has discovered that Grace really did forget about something in her ‘real life’. She was missing her daughter. Maybe working with Freddy will clear up some of those things. Maybe this will all be worth it.

 

Buddy has had about enough from the kids on his show. They need to sing to him and tell him how awesome he is. They need to give him big hugs and give him high fives.

 

Because when the credits roll for the TV show, then Buddy gets reset and he becomes the powerful ruler of his little perfect kingdom. Unless there are some naughty kids and the new Nurse Grace who are going ruin it all for the big fuzzy lovable lunatic…

 

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“Buddy” is the brainchild of Casper Kelly. He is the creator of the bizarrely funny short called “Too Many Cooks” about a decade ago. This short was a convoluted compilation of fake TV Show intros.

 

So, now his idea of the non-existent TV kid’s show called “It’s Buddy” now makes sense. The short film devolved into a minor slasher/horror genre. That makes “Buddy” a perfect compliment to his other prior work that he’s known for.

 

The ‘shot-on-video’ look makes it stand out, because it seems to be possible that this was an actual TV show. The design borrows from almost all of the well-known kid-based show from the past. Buddy the Unicorn could just as well be a shadow of Barney the Dinosaur.

 

Keegan-Michael Key is a great fit for the voice of Buddy. If you have ever seen the old skit from his ‘Key and Peele’ days, where he is a substitute teacher struggling with the names of the students, you will see the similarities.

 

Cristin Milioti is another stand-out in her role as Grace. In the real world, Grace is troubled by something that she cannot grasp. But when she is in the fictional world of Buddy, she is ready to play along until the stakes become real. Then her character is not afraid to face off against an unstoppable freak of nature. She can capture the terror that she feels, as well as the sweet recognition of finding a lost family member.

 

The movie suffers just a little in how it gets up a good head of steam, but then allows it to deflate. When the starting section is focused on Buddy’s unusual section of the universe, it really moves along. Then it steps on the breaks where it veers off for a while into the family of Grace and Ben. That section does not have the same energy and staying power as the first section. It does pick up after that, when it goes back into the ‘Buddy-verse’.

 

“Buddy” is a weird simmering stew of parody and horror, from the person who served up “Too Many Cooks” many years ago.  This one is just as bizarrely funny.