Review of Heavyweights (1995) by Raji K — 03 Dec 2016

4 Stars.

Disney presents a co-written film by Judd Apatow in Heavyweights. Gerald Gardner (Aaron Schwartz) is ready to have a great relaxing summer with his friends. Much to his chagrin, he finds out his parents are sending him to a fat camp. Despite his protests, he makes some friends which include friends Roy (Keenan Thompson), Josh (Shaun Weiss) and counselor Pat (Tom McGowan). They all insist he is about to have a great summer and introduce him to the camp, the go-carts, and the blob which catapults them into the lake.

Just as he is ready to settle in the owners (Anne Meary and Jerry Stiller), announce they are no longer the owners, and they are turning it over to a new owner Tony Perkis (Ben Stiller). Perkis is determined to whip the kids into shape, and make a new infomercial off the camp. The only problem is he has no idea how to interact or motivate with kids in any other manner aside from cruelty and by isolating and demeaning them for being fat. What was going to be the best summer, turns out to be the worst as they continued to be tortured by the new staff, and the all pro sports league across the lake.

Heavyweights is a pretty funny comedy. The film does not rely on cruel fat jokes, but has quite a few entertaining one liners, and dialogue interactions between the characters. All of the characters are realistic and relatable, particularly with regards to Gerald, Roy, Josh and Pat. Stiller plays one of his crazy psychotic characters that was first for its time, but would be replicated later by Dodgeball among a few other films. Heavyweights would never be made by Disney today, as it is by no means politically correct. Many will find the movie too goofy, slapstick, or even offensive, but I thought the film had good characters, intentions that make the film one of the great Disney comedies from the 90s.

-12.1.2016.