everything you have heard about this movie is true.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

This film was one of the best films to watch as a kid when it first aired or when ever it was on Disney Channel as a kid, back when Disney Channel wasn't horrible, I'd say in the 90s and all the way up till 2004 was when Disney Channel would have this come on there more frequently and when Disney Channel wasn't horrible.But anyway, always loved this film as a kid, it had plenty of humor, it was funny, it had a little drama into the mix. When ever Tony Perkis told the kids when he was their age, he weight 319 pounds and how he felt himself and how he felt back than, makes you wonder how he lost all that weight in the beginning. There is a bit of a mystery I wondered about, how to Tony become the crazy person he showed to be in the film because they showed his father on there and he seemed complete normal and a rational human being, yet when he said his son was always a bit of an odd child and that his parents never hugged him and he isn't going crazy about it, sort of makes you wonder what kind of a relationship did Tony and his dad have? But my guess was maybe he just wasn't around very much or while he was busy with work, his son was home schooled and raised by nannies or butlers or something, but we'll probably never know.But as the film kept going and how it kept the story and plot line going, I actually loved it. I sort of forgotten what Kenan Thompson looked like when he was a kid or first started out in his career at one point but he sure has changed over the years, yet he could live to be a really old man and I'd still recognize his face and the familiar sound of his voice too, yet he's still funny.Although, even when the star child character was going to a fat camp and he at first liked the idea but once he found out it was a fat camp for boys, and he didn't want to go out of anger because he didn't want to be the fat kid there but soon found out from a loving friend that every kid there is the fat kid and he felt better about it. I will admit that I probably wouldn't be made for camping from past experiences but going to a summer camp, that might be interesting to do as a kid.Even as I saw how they introduced the character Lars, I used to remember when ever they asked him where he's from, I used joke around by saying "He's Lars from Mars" or I'd think it would be funny if one of the kids would say "Lars is from Mars" that would've been a funny line in the film but sadly that line wasn't in there, but it would still be funny if it was.Although, I will admit that I found it hard to watch the kids who were the campers of the fat camp going through such cruelty by Tony and the rival camp they were competing against because I sort of was a large person for my age as a kid myself, well, I wasn't fat or obese or anything, I was more like showing just a little fat in me. But I did at one time think that Tony and the rival camp were bullying them kids for being fat or something but I think Tony was just desperate to make the kids lose a lot of weight really fast over the summer and the rival camp were just bullying them because they were not the best at sports or physical challenges.I will admit that Tony using the camp to turn it into the top weight loss infomercial that he wants to use for an infomercial he can sell, anyone can agree that idea wouldn't work, especially if it's at a fat camp because since all kids are different, yet losing weight and how a fat camp operates, Tony's way of doing things would never work but the way how their beloved camp runner Pat would do things, I knew that Pat's way would work because Tony's way is something out of a sadistic boot camp which those kids don't need a boot camp.Although even when the camp counselors were doing their best to help the kids by going through the proper channels, I sort of knew that the proper channels wouldn't really work or wouldn't show up when they needed them since in other films or television shows, the justice system has often shown to have been ether too slow or not always working out. Which I will admit that can make anyone feel mad but also want to help the kids even more. Yet I did like the parts where they finally did something about that sadistic Tony when the kids got him in a make shift holding cell.Yet once the kids celebrated and went on a binge party of junk food, soda and pizza, I will admit that I felt like anyone would probably join them, I would. Yet I think it was a good thing that Pat helped them kids see the light for them to lose weight and start becoming healthier but he had them realize that by doing that in a kindly manner.Even though Tony broke out, still, when the parents found out about what the kids went through at the camp from what Tony has put them through, I naturally knew they'd be shocked yet once Tony broke out and they all witnessed the truth of his evil nature and Gerry's dad gave Tony a punch, even though Tony fought back and tried to escape but failed, I felt so satisfied that they took down Tony and that camp hope finally beat the rival camp at the physical challenges they did every year, even though in the past they lost to them, but once the campers of camp hope finally beat the rival team and stuck it to them, that was so satisfying. Even when Pat finally kissed and won over the woman of his dreams, I think it was cool that Pat finally started to come out of his shell.I loved how this film turned out, it had plenty of everything that a comedy could have. Yet I sort of wondered what happened to the child actors and the other adult actors from this film because I only heard a little bit about what they're doing now yet I think they should have a cast reunion. I think it's good that this film was made back than because if it was made in the mid 2000s or later, there would be a possibility we might not have the chance to see it since by now, there's a lot more sensitivity to some issues in day to day life. So I'm glad that they made this film in the 90s and made it such a classic. I love this film.

Plump kids are lured into joining a posh fat camp with the promise of quick weight loss and good times, only to find that the facility is a woodland hellhole run by a psycho ex-fitness instructor."Heavyweights" currently holds a 29% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on seven professional reviews, but is fresh within the community with 78%. According to Stephen Holden, "Heavyweights is really two movies in one, and they don't mesh. One movie is a no-holds-barred spoof of a Tony Little- or Susan Powter-style fitness merchant. The other movie is a conventional family comedy that pokes lighthearted fun at the chubby young campers" What makes this film stand out is that it is an early film from Ben Stiller and Judd Apatow, both of whom have become huge success stories. But there is still something odd about the film, because although the "fat kids" are the good guys, they are still presented as something to laugh at and a group of kids who can't stop hoarding junk food. This could be seen as offensive by some.

I've never been overweight for the record but I have been a geek/outsider, which made me a target for most scum in the schools and even I never had all the breaks in life. This film is another one of my childhood gems and it's one of my favorite films of all time because this film focuses not just on kids that are heavyweights but also are people that never had all the breaks like myself.I really like the story in itself which is sort of your tide turning/underdog story. The film is actually a bit dark as we see but personally that's part of why I love it this film, it's one of those family movies done right where nothing is watered down and what the kids even good staff members go though just makes you all the more makes you want them to win.The characters are great, I really love Tony Perkins, this is my favorite role from Ben Stiller and one of my favorite fictional villains. Tony is pretty much the ultimate fanboy of the self help, fitness and infomercial counterculture. He's taken cues from guys like Tony Robbins, Richard Simons, or any other guru you can think of but he is literally not his own person. And the guy of course is a fraking moron as he is trying to utilize a fitness methodology of what it means to be a great person and of course we see he's on the wrong track or should I say off track.He is just fraking hilarious, not just verbally but even physically like in one scene where he's going on a power jog, it's funny because of how ridiculous he's moving as if he's a kid just imitating the movement he sees on an exercise video. The Chipmuk campers are all great and unique in ways, even like the fact that a few of them are from the "Mighty Ducks" films which is cool since I like those films. Jerry is solid, he's a character that is just sort of the ordinary kid that just simply wants to have a good time. One thing I like about him is his desire to ride a go kart, simply because they look cool and he's never ridden one but most importantly finding out if this is something he's good at. Which is something I can emphasize with, whenever there is something new and different my way I have the urge to try it out and to me that just part of life, trying things out and finding out what your good at.Really like Josh, he's sort of the class clown of the group. He's got some good scenes and lines. One that was my favorite was when he was pulling every ones chain when he was pretending to be some sort of zombie, that I always chuckled to.The film I feel smartly satirizes on the self help and fitness counterculture. How most of the time that counterculture is teaching all the wrong things like the importance of image; instead of the right things like the importance of mental and physical health.But of course the film also has some good messages and in a strange way is a bit of a Christian film. One of the revolving themes is of course about hope, hence the title of their camp. We kind of see throughout most of the film the camp is not living up to that title as we see instead of being Camp Hope it's became Camp Hell. But it's always the dark times when hope is needed the most and we see in both the campers and even the good staff that they have kept hope despite how small alive and has grown.From one scene where there is a dance with these nice looking girls at first it's an Amish rave but then of course we start to see at first the good councilors dance to get it going and then of course every joins in gets comfortable having fun which of course puts a crimp on Tony's plan. But also we see that it's hope alone that motivates them to do what must be done, once Tony says a really crappy thing to Pat as Pat stood up for the campers I thought, "That's it, I can't take this crap anymore!" that of course crossed the line with the other campers and staff and we see there is a form of community as they all work together to do what must be done.In a way that moment we see the contrast parallel in both Camp Hope's program and Tony's. Camp Hope is a place that we see promotes not just good health and outlook on life but also community, some of their community doesn't all consist of people Heavyweight which is part of what Community is about, where it doesn't matter who you are or what your weight is, what matters is who you are on the inside.Tony's of course is one that what you project outside is what makes you feel good inside and also is aiming for everyone to be a Superman. But that's a bad philosophy because obsession with image is vanity which is always a fleeting thing and trying to be a superman is of course the impossible dream because no one can logically get there. But as we see there is a great amount of isolation with him as he really has no friends, he has henchmen but that's all they are they don't count as real friends. And to me that is part of why Tony is really the one that is weak and the Heavyweights are truly strong.Heavyweights is the right weight on entertainment.Rating: 4 stars

Heavyweights is a 1995 comedy released by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by Steven Brill, the creator of the also hilarious Mighty Ducks movie (which is another favorite of mine). It is about overweight kids who are sent to a camp run by a fitness fanatic named Tony Pekis (Ben Stiller from "Meet the Parents") who is out to make their summer a nightmare. I first saw this movie when it came on Disney Channel about 3 or 4 years ago and since then I have bought and watched this movie over 12 times and I plan to see it many, many more times because this movie is absolutely hilarious and I think it is a Classic movie. From the very beginning to the end credits where the Camp Hope song is sung (which will have you laughing even more) and where Perkis becomes a door-to-door salesman (which is also hilarious) Heavyweights is (if you have a sense of humor) a great movie which I love to quote. One of my many favorite quotes is when Josh, (Goldberg from The Mighty Ducks films) says to Perkis "I know whose candy it is, okay. The candy belongs to seymour butts." Then Perkis replies, confused "Seymour butts?" "Seymour butts?" "Who's seymour butts, huh who's seymour butts?" then Josh says "Nobodys seen more butts than you Uncle Tony!" If you haven't seen this movie yet, the next time you are in a video store, consider renting this one. You shouldn't and I hope you won't be disappointed. You will laugh harder than you probably ever have at a PG film. Rating: Over the scale! (if you've seen the movie you get my joke).