Vernon
One of the most popular and polarizing children’s shows of the 90s, “Barney & Friends,” is reimagined now in 2026, called “Buddy” instead of “Barney.”
Close, but no cigar.
Be forewarned, this is not a children’s movie. It was stamped with an R-rated score for a reason. Unfortunately for “Buddy’s” fate, the film is receiving alienating scrutiny from crowds who have brought their children to see this. Perhaps they should have checked the rating before purchasing their box office tickets.
Of course, controversy has also arisen, as they have rushed their children swiftly out of the screenings, realizing “Buddy” is not in fact a family film. I question if these kinds of news stories are in fact real, or if they are just made by the studios to provide the film with word-of-mouth publicity. Can the general public be that dumb? Well, whatever the facts, it worked.
“Buddy” follows a bright orange celebrated unicorn who initially seems harmless, but in due time his true colors shine through as he inevitably terrorizes children.
Sounds right up PBS’s alley — not!
Believe it or not, but “Buddy” actually was not in the least as silly sounding as you could have imagined. It was believable in the sense that it actually contained some thrills and some chills, and never felt cheap or contrived.
This style of a film could have been cheesy and easily laughed right off into a darken state of oblivion. Instead it contained depth, was inventive, and maybe, just maybe, might have a longer shelf life than far better films because of it’s wild, cult-like originality.
REVIEW
“Buddy”
Starring: Topher Grace
Christopher’s “Meow” score: 7/10 paws
Christopher Vernon is a proud NEPA resident and award-winning writer and author. He began writing film reviews on his page ‘The Movie Meow’ in 2018. His favorite two films of all time are ‘Thelma & Louise’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby.’ And of course, you guessed it, Chris adores cats.
