Fat Pizza

Fat Pizza is an extreme big-screen version of the Australian television series of the same name. Regular narration by writer/producer/director/star Paul Fenech's character "Pauly" provides a feasible link for a range of events surrounding pizza-chef Bobo's impending mail-order marriage.

Rap music, ethnic rivalry, anglo-ignorance, street gangs, illegal immigrants, sex, drugs, religion and sexuality: Fat Pizza handles all these topics with absolute irreverence.

There's a "cast of thousands" of Australian sport and TV icons playing small parts (with the late gay television identity Bernard King appearing several times as a leather daddy tempting Fat Pizza's delivery boys). Delivery boy/rapper Sleek also finds himself irresistibly responding to gay men, even though he thinks he's a chick magnet.

Fat Pizza is unapologetically Australian, with a huge thumping soundtrack, and fast pace. Paul Fenech has created a major work of contemporary Australian piss-taking.

I don't know why, but it seems like the makers of the film had a 3-week deadline to get the film done. Many of the shots are poor, and a few reshoots could have done it well in the long run.

But, overall, I did enjoy the movie. I admit that the starting was not great, but towards the end there was so much going on, you just couldn't stop watching!

Many cameos make this a worthwile watch, with Jabba from Channel V even making a star appearance as the new Fat Pizza employee, who is hell bent on whatever drugs he can find.

The story is not great, but it ensures many events to happen along the way. There's Bobo's wedding and his (extreme) bachelor party, Sleek being stalked by fat women, Pauly looking after Bobo's wedding ring, and Habib growing even more afraid of police activity, whilst trying to get any chick he can (and if you've seen the movie, ou'll know what I mean!).

But, even these many events cannot overpower the production values. Much of the acting is poor, and nesarly every culture or group is attacked in one form or another. What I mean is, some people may get offended.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10.

I have visited OZ twice, and was shown the TV series by Aussie friends. As a real sitcom buff, and a taste for anarchy on screen, I took to the show immediately, no that's an understatement, I bloody loved it!

On my return to OZ I looked out for it again, and SBS began to show it and it was as good as I remembered.

I discovered the film, and was very excited to sit and watch it. Unfortunately it just didn't live up to my expectations, and I didn't find it particularly funny. I enjoyed the characters as I always would, but I would have bought a copy to bring home even if I had thought it to be just OK, but the fact that it wasn't worth it says a lot. I am desperate to obtain copies of the series on DVD, but as far as I know they hadn't/haven't made them. This is a great shame as I would love to introduce friends here to the show.

TV Show 10/10 Film 5/10

Fat Pizza is a fantastic film, which is both my 2nd favourite Australian film and my 4th favourite comedy of all time! This is so politically incorrect that it's the key to its success. This film takes the p*ss out of everyone and leaves no exceptions, like wogs, Aussies, Asians, illegal immigrants, disabled people, street gangs, police, the government, druggies, religion, celebrities, terrorism, rappers, homosexuals, transvestites and anyone else I didn't mention.

In this film, Paulie (Paul Fenech, who also co-wrote, produced and directed this masterpiece) has a lot on his plate. He has to organize Bobo's (Johnny Boxer), his boss, wedding with his mail-order bride Ling Chow (I can't find her real name), keep his mates, rapper Sleek The Elite (Paul Naked), Habib (Tahir Bilgic, who also co-wrote this), Aussie druggie Davo Dinkum (Jabba from Channel [V]) and Rocky `The Lebanese Rambo' (couldn't find his name either) out of trouble and stay away from killer clowns from a rival fast food chain (obviously spoofing McDonalds). There is also a rival pizza shop run by from Indian people called `Phat Pizza', which they know ripped them off and spy on them.

The film is beyond worthy to the TV series, which is the best out of the film spin-offs of TV series such as South Park, Beavis & Butthead and Ali G. The addition of the new character Davo is great and is probably now the funniest character in the series, which is also nice to the see a `token Aussie' in it. The performances are great and most are so over-the-top that it's genius. It's so funny that you pretty laugh every minute of the film and the soundtrack is awesome and perfectly fits to the theme of the film. It's a crime that the TV series Pizza was banned from SBS! Let's hope this wonderful team of comedians keep making both the series and possible sequels to this wonderful film.

Rating: 5/5!!!

It's been said that this movie sets Australian culture back 20 years. Whoever said that (I read it somewhere, but can't remember where) has his/her head in his/her armpit. It's the side of Australian culture outsiders rarely see. Illegal immigrants ARE arriving in leaky boats. Police ARE unfairly targeting ethnic minorities. Fast-food corporations (eg McDoggles) ARE being mean to the little guy (and I don't just mean Pauly). People ARE making speed in their backyards. Backpackers ARE being murdered.

Though I'm sure that, when these things occur in the real world, they are nowhere near as funny as they are in Fat Pizza. This movie is utterly hilarious from beginning to end. Sure, the humour may not be everyone's cup of tea. I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable watching it with my Nanna.

It's unfair to say there is no structure to the plot. There is. Just not a standard one. Which, in this age of Hollywood formula, should be regarded as a good thing. This movie breaks the rules, baby!

If you enjoy watching the Pizza TV show on SBS, you'll have a blast. It's longer, with more jokes and cameos crammed in. A family-size Pizza, if you like.

If I had to choose between Fat Pizza and Kangaroo Jack as a representation of Australian culture, I'd choose Fat Pizza in a second.