Fat Albert (Kenan
Thompson) and the beloved animated characters from the late '70s
make the leap to live action to help a troubled teenager (Kyla
Pratt) regain her self-esteem as they experience the heartfelt
emotions and
hilarious
absurdities of the
real world.
CRITIQUE
Fat Albert is
obviously geared towards the younger crowd, and with that in mind,
the filmmakers deliver a completely average film based on a script
with a shallow and severely drawn-out premise. Fat Albert wants to
solve problems, and when a magical tear from high schooler Doris
viewing his animated program spills onto the remote, he takes the
opportunity to help her find friends and more, and so he and his
friends are transported through the TV set into the real world.
The plot is shallow and rather one-dimensional, although it
advocates self-esteem, I guess. The film's production looks fairly
good in terms of costume and set design, while direction by Joel
Zwick is average. Some of the special effects (or blue screen
shots) are obvious, such as when Albert engages a school hot shot
in a foot race. Kenan Thompson turns in a good performance as
Albert, although working with limited material, and the actors
playing Albert's gang are good in terms of portraying their quirky
characters.
THE VIDEO
Fox presents Fat
Albert in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Picture quality looks
quite nice, with good definition, adequate sharpness and detail,
and a fine color palette. Print flaws are not inherent, though
there are a few spots when grain and specks pop up. A pan-and-scan
version is also available on this flipper dis.
THE AUDIO
Fox presents Fat
Albert in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. Dialogue is very
clear and easy to understand. Music and sound effects are also
clearly audible. Surround usage is limited. Overall a good
presentation that gets the job done but doesn't stand out. Spanish
and French Dolby dub tracks are available.
THE EXTRAS
Commentary by the
director and producer is available for the film. Comments vary
between discussions on the cast, the story, the production, and
other things.
Rounding out the
extras are several extended scenes, none of which are
particularly interesting, Fat Albert: Behind the Band
featurette, which is a basic making-of with lots of interviews
offering praise, the theatrical trailer, and inside
looks at Ice Age 2 and Rebound with Martin
Lawrence.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Fat Albert is
decent at best, the story is just too drawn out and not very
interesting, although certain parts are somewhat enjoyable. Unless
you have kids, or you remember the cartoon very fondly, there is
no need to see Fat Albert.
