Now before I begin please do NOT let my vote or certain opinions change the fact that this film is so amazingly well put together for families and children. I don't want anything to take away from the fact that this film is such a wholesome, wonderful, family film. I am reviewing this for myself as an adult and must do so from how I felt about it. I was never a Fat Albert fan growing up, never liked the cartoon, but was anxious to see the new film if for the only reason that I wanted to see Bill Cosby back in action because I am a fan of his. The fact that Cosby and the rest of the film makers involved were able to take the heart and soul of the original cartoon from so many years ago and perfectly preserve it in live action film is one in a million, possibly never before accomplished. Consider the butchering of Scooby Doo recently, Brady Bunch which was nothing but mocking. Instead Cosby was able to transform everything that was loved about the original series wholesome and unchanged. I'm sure it helped to have veteran TV family director Joel Zwick who has done every manner of Family television you can think of.
Fat Albert is the story of Albert and the Cosby Kids living their lives in their cartoon junkyard until miraculously a young girl, with no friends, unintentionally causes a rift between her world and the cartoon world that enables Fat Albert and his friends to come into the real world. Ripped from the seventies, cartoon Phillidelphia into 2005 real world Phillidelphia you have a typical fish out of water comedy. Fat Albert feels he must help Doris find friends before he can return to the Television. Unfortunately Albert and the Cosby Kids find themselves fading in the real world, and on top of it all Albert has fallen in love with Doris' foster sister Lauri.
The best thing I can say about Fat Albert is this story is so pure and fun. There is truly nothing in it that is questionable or over the top for young kids to enjoy. I think this is perfect for kids who missed out on the original cartoon which was all about morals and helping others. The casting is about as brilliant as you can get. The live counterparts of the cartoon are strikingly perfect. Kenan Thompson puts so much heart into the role of Fat Albert that he just embodies it perfectly. Way to go in the casting department!!! The comedy in the film fits the target demographic, it's mostly slapstick physical comedy with not a lot of intelligent humor which is okay. The film is so much like the original cartoon which as I said I was never a fan of that I just wasn't overly entertained by it. I found it kind of dragging and boring and just not intelligent enough for adults but then it probably wasn't made for adults. The brief appearance by Bill Cosby was great and as I mentioned I loved the cast. Overall if you liked the original series absolutely check out the film and above all else buy it for your kids because it's one of the only truly wholesome films out there.
5/10
Fat Albert is the story of Albert and the Cosby Kids living their lives in their cartoon junkyard until miraculously a young girl, with no friends, unintentionally causes a rift between her world and the cartoon world that enables Fat Albert and his friends to come into the real world. Ripped from the seventies, cartoon Phillidelphia into 2005 real world Phillidelphia you have a typical fish out of water comedy. Fat Albert feels he must help Doris find friends before he can return to the Television. Unfortunately Albert and the Cosby Kids find themselves fading in the real world, and on top of it all Albert has fallen in love with Doris' foster sister Lauri.
The best thing I can say about Fat Albert is this story is so pure and fun. There is truly nothing in it that is questionable or over the top for young kids to enjoy. I think this is perfect for kids who missed out on the original cartoon which was all about morals and helping others. The casting is about as brilliant as you can get. The live counterparts of the cartoon are strikingly perfect. Kenan Thompson puts so much heart into the role of Fat Albert that he just embodies it perfectly. Way to go in the casting department!!! The comedy in the film fits the target demographic, it's mostly slapstick physical comedy with not a lot of intelligent humor which is okay. The film is so much like the original cartoon which as I said I was never a fan of that I just wasn't overly entertained by it. I found it kind of dragging and boring and just not intelligent enough for adults but then it probably wasn't made for adults. The brief appearance by Bill Cosby was great and as I mentioned I loved the cast. Overall if you liked the original series absolutely check out the film and above all else buy it for your kids because it's one of the only truly wholesome films out there.
5/10