Fat Pizza

In this world where we must be politically correct a hundred percent of the time or face court, Fat Pizza is like a breath of fresh air simply because it doesn't go out of its way to not offend anyone. We've all grown tired of films that go out of their way to please everyone and wind up pleasing noone as a result, so here's one that goes out of its way to please noone.

And it winds up pleasing most anyone who has ever lived in a city where there are a lot of people who represent an ethnic minority. Even people from California or New York might relate to it on some level. If you have never been outside of an exclusively Anglo-Saxon community, on the other hand, don't bother.

It has been stated that the film is little more than an extended episode of the television series, and this is true to some extent. However, the cinema format removes a lot of the restraints inherent in television, and as a result, the humour is more unapologetically ethnic, disgusting, and just plain revolting. The Farrelly brothers are complete tryhards in comparison to Paul Fenech and his cohorts. And the refreshing thing is that they truly don't care who they offend, offering absolutely no apologies whatsoever.

Another fun element of Fat Pizza is spotting all of the cameos from minor, or even major, Australian celebrities. Angry Anderson, Red Symons, Kamahl, Elliot Goblet, even Jeff Fenech himself - anyone who has ever been anyone on Australian television is packed in here, and you'll need to watch the film twice just to identify them all. The best part is that they're not taking themselves even remotely seriously.

When Red Symons happily tells the illegal immigrants that "We take bribes", or Kamahl asks us for the zillionth time why people are so unkind, one cannot help but laugh because it is all so utterly irreverent in a time when it should be. Forget about political correctness here - if you want to see Lebanese men acting like utter imbeciles while bikies, Italian gangsters, and bad Ronald McDonald clones give them hell, this is the film you've been waiting for. You will not find a scene where a stoned Anglo pizza delivery boy runs over cyclists and thinking he's scoring points for it in any American film before this one was made, I can garantee that. If you see it in one that was made after mid-2003, I can guarantee that it won't be nearly as funny.

Normally, I would never have considered this film because of its shameless appeal to the lowest common denominator, but it scores big because it represents a much-needed loosening of the collar in this day and age where minor mischief on the part of people who are treated like slaves in our society is treated like a spree of murders. Well done, Paul Fenech - people like you may well be the salvation of this blinkered, speak-no-evil society that none of us who were born in the 1970s or 1980s actually want. Ten out of ten for laughs, but minus two for going just a tiny bit too far at times (and even they were pretty funny because of the loosening up that the rest of the film offers).

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!!!

There's a plot of sorts about a guy who works at a pizza shop holding a ring for his boss who bought a mail-order bride or something. The plot is just an excuse to string some skits together. Some hilarious, some funny, some awful (the Ronald McDonalds, the baby),. Offending pretty much everyone along the way. VERY un-P.C. which is a good thing. This is based on a TV show I guess (I don't know, I'm not an Aussie, I've never even been in prison). Sure it's juvenile, sophomoric, and obsessed with ass humor, but I'd rather with this than any Ali G. However,it could also have been cut by a good 10 or so minutes and would have been better

My Grade: C+

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.

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.