Starring Michael Jeter, Kevin Zegers, Bill Cobbs and Buddy the dog Directed by Charles Martin Smith Rated PG, with mild comic violence Running time 97 minutes Jack gives this film a rating of 7 out of 10

(Aug. 1, 1997) -- One of the best-known Stupid Pet Tricks from David Letterman's show has made its way onto the screen in Air Bud -- and the result is a surprisingly sweet family movie.

There is only one, ongoing special effect, and it's not created in a lab or a computer or even by humans. In Air Bud, Buddy the dog puts basketballs through the hoop.

In this season of super stunts and state-of-the-art computer effects, Air Bud even brags in a credit disclaimer: "No special visual effects were used in the basketball sequences of this motion picture."

And if the children's applause and laughter that greeted the film as I watched is any gauge, then Air Bud shows you don't always need car chases, comic book heroes or slam-bang action to entertain the kids.

Air Bud evolved from a meeting between dog trainer Kevin DiCicco and screenwriters Paul Tamasy and Aaron Mendelsohn. The writers were impressed with DiCicco's work with Buddy -- and the basketball tricks he has performed on the Letterman show -- and they quickly fashioned a family story around the stunts.

They simply adapted the tried-and-true boy-and-his-dog formula: A shy boy (Kevin Zegers) is out of sorts because he has recently lost his father and his mom has moved the family to another town, where he has trouble finding acceptance.

The boy loves basketball but is initially accepted on the school team only as the towel-collecting "manager." Secretly, by night, he works alone on his game. But when the friendless lad stumbles upon a disheveled stray and discovers the animal can bounce balls into the hoop -- well, the story is up and running.

The dog becomes the much-loved mascot of the team, the boy is elevated to a playing role, and everything is going great. But then the dog's original owner -- a cruel, animal-abusing ne'er-do-well (Michael Jeter) -- arrives to reclaim Buddy. The boy and his pet must struggle to find a solution.

Part of the pleasure I gleaned from Air Bud might have come from low expectations. Understandably, I didn't expect much from a low-budget family flick about a basketball-playing dog. But under the surprisingly sensitive direction of actor-turned-director Charles Martin Smith, the result is on a par with the amusing live-action family films created by the Disney Studios in the yesteryears of Flubber and Hayley Mills. Though it won't appeal to more jaded adults, it should hit its target of preteen children and their families.

The dog is an ingratiating character -- and isn't made to do too much that seems beyond the realm of plausibility -- and he's surrounded by several enjoyable humans. Zegers successfully conveys the boy's range of emotions -- from sad frustration and loneliness to the joy and thrills he experiences on and off the court with his dog. And as the villain, Jeter strikes the right balance between slapstick physical comedy and threatening evil. In support, Bill Cobbs contributes a winning portrait of a sensitive, wise man who coaches the school team after the regular, hard-nosed coach takes a hike.

A tacked-on courtroom finale seems superfluous and a few supporting characters are too broadly drawn; otherwise, Air Bud is a juvenile delight.

The dog gets nothin' but net.