Fat Albert (Movie Review)

Ok this is one of those movies that I went to see just because I felt like seeing a movie and...well I'd already seen everything else. There are no real stars in it, except for a surprise cameo by a big name star that shall remain nameless, just in case you have not seen the previews. The good thing about this movie is that it is exactly what I expected it would be…but that is also the bad thing about this movie. It is a lighthearted, “feel good” comedy that isn’t really funny, but it is fun to watch, especially if you are a fan of the Fat Albert cartoons created by Bill Cosby. It is kind of cool to see these characters come to life.

The premise of the film is that a teenage girl here in “reality” is in need of help. You see, she is lonely and doesn’t have any friends. So, Fat Albert and the Junkyard Gang jump out of the television set and into her living room. Their mission: help this young lady become popular…because life just isn’t worth living if you’re not popular…right? Well Fat Albert and his chums are used to 1970s cartoon land, not 21st century reality. Therefore, the bulk of the movie consists of the fellas encountering all sorts of people and places (like the mall!!) that are shocking to their cartoon system. All of these situations are mildly entertaining, but not hilarious.

I spent a great deal of this movie with a smile on my face…because it is “just plain fun” to watch. Maybe it was just nice to see a movie without any cursing or violence (although I’m a big fan of both) in it for once. The soundtrack is cool and any movie with a character named “Mushmouth” can’t be all that bad. But am I glad that I spent $8.50 on this movie? No…I’m not. But it’s still worth checking out…once it comes out on DVD.