Fat Albert

This movie was pretty much forced into being, and horribly so. I never watched "Fat Albert" as a kid, but I concluded that I would watch the movie based upon the cartoon's reputation. Had I known that Fat Albert and the gang would lunge through the television from cartoon town to real life, I wouldn't have even watched the opening credits.

It was a feel good story with a good message, but it was terribly done. A lot of the scenes in the movie seemed as though they were for occupying space and time more than for aiding the plot. Fat Albert can do it all, and even though he's fat, he's super cool. That is about what I got out of the bulk of the movie.

I really had a good time watching this movie. We all remember the 70's cartoon heroes named Fat Albert and the Cosby kids who came from the genius created mind of Bill Cosby. Each week Fat Albert and his gang would help people and solve problems. Now it's 2004 and Doris come home from school after having a bad day she turns on Fat Albert and begins to cry and Fat Albert the cartoon hears her cry and jumps out of cartoon land and into reality to help Doris with her problem and the Cosby kids follow him. But what they are going to discover is that their world and this world are completely different. Like Garfirld and Scooby Doo, another great cartoon character comes to life. It was a fascinating idea by Bill Cosby for the famous cartoon characters to jump into reality. I really enjoyed this movie, it was pure fun.

Teenage Doris has a problem. No one wants to be her friend or invite her to their parties. As she is crying over the television's remote control, a tear drops into the device. As she happens to have a Fat Albert cartoon on the set, her sadness seeps onto the title character. Albert insists on jumping through the screen, along with his friends, to help her develop a more positive self image. While they are in the real world, the whole gang adapts to modern culture quickly. They never lose sight of their true goal, however. Will Fat Albert and his crew be able to better Doris' life? It is so satisfying to watch a film for teens and children that is determined to amuse and enlighten without objectionable material. Although the story is somewhat weak and a bit wandering, Albert and the actors playing the gang members are just wonderful, as is Doris and her lovely cousin, Laurie. Bill Cosby himself has a small part in the film, too. If you are a choosy parent, who screens every film before making a decision on a movie's worth, you will probably give thumbs up to this new entry into family features. It has an upbeat message that overcomes any weaknesses.

This is a typical Hollywood made American made piece of crap. The famous cartoon from 1972-1984 had the right formula to amuse kids. This film has a bunch of hip-hop crap, and the worst is that its not animated anymore. The acting is decent. I just wonder how Bill Cosby material has sunk this far. So to those of you whom have kids, buy the original animated series from Time/Life Books and videos. This film would have much more wider appeal had it been down with a 70's style music score without all of the 21st century effects. The scenes in the school are preety funny, the script is shallow and unworthy of a Bill Cosby stamp of approval. There are a few funny scenes. But unfortunately the 2004 setting is very lame and flat compared to the original 70's format.

For the most part, when "family" and "movie" are right next to each other in the same sentence, my first instinct is to run as fast as I can the other way. But with a movie pass about to expire, and nothing else in the theater that piqued my interest (Christmas With the Kranks? NO THANK YOU!), I sat down in my seat with no expectations. I haven't seen the original TV series in years, but I've always been a big fan of Bill Cosby, and I was immediately put at ease when the credit "Written by Bill Cosby" came up. Bill's script keeps the spirit of the original characters intact, and incorporates them into the real world without an overkill of "Oh, wow! Things are so different now!" style of jokes. This movie is made for kids, not at kids. Things are kept simple without being condescending, and at no time will adults have to talk their way out of explaining something "adult" to the kiddies. In the end, while this movie won't win any technical or artistic awards, it's still a fun little movie that the whole family can enjoy, and for once, that's a good thing. B-plus.