Heavyweights

I've never been failed so badly by Ben Stiller. He even had some very recognizable faces in comedy to back him up. Such a boring, senseless, heartless, unfunny, and self-indulgent movie with a talented but utterly wasted cast. The premise had potential for madcap parody and satire, but somehow it got lost a self-indulgent feel-good (but also feel-guilty) movie. Don't waste your time.

I was a little surprised at Heavyweights. It was an actually very funny movie. Stupid, but funny. The characters are likable and Ben Stiller, who plays the work out obsessed manager of the camp, is at his best. Its also mean spirited to overweight kids but some kids that are bigger might feel OK after watching this film. And the kids in the film, which include Shaun Weiss, Kenan Thompson, and Aaron Schwarts, are charming, if not at times a little vulgar. But the film has no soul to it so, its not a failure, but its a pretty ordinary family film. Still, you'll wanna watch it for the funny jokes and fair acting by the kids. Its not a great movie, its not even a good movie, but its a good little time waster.

...I don't know how on god's green earth I originally watched this film! A stupid feel good film about a bunch of FAT kid's who are sent away to the American tradition of Summer Camp, in these kid's case FAT CAMP! A coming of age/lesson learned (that you can achieve and that it's okay to be FAT) A few familar faces appear in this here movie including Ben Stiller and the fat one from Keanan & Kel in fact a couple of the kid's were token Disney player's who went from film to film for the Disney production companies (including this one) A rubbish film really! 2/10

Despite being a child of the '90s, somehow I missed "Heavyweights" entirely. Considering the similarities it shares with "The Mighty Ducks" movies such as actors Kenan Thompson and Shaun Weiss, I'm almost embarrassed. Regardless, there's still plenty to appreciate about "Heavyweights" 15 years later in spite of its silliness -- and it's more than just a joke about the ineptitude of the Buffalo Bills. For one, it was written and directed by Judd Apatow, who has a majority hold on the comedies of the last decade and for two, it marks one of Ben Stiller's first prominent roles as fitness wack-job Tony Perkis, who takes over a once-adored fat camp and harasses the kids. Good thing "Heavyweights" was made then or it may never have surfaced, seeing as the age of political correctness and weight sensitivity has befallen us. The film is not cruel at all in its depiction of overweight campers, so parents surfing around for slightly older kid films and coming across this one shouldn't be concerned about that factor, but there's no doubt that such a concept would be hard to get off the ground, especially at Disney, in the 21st Century. Co-written by Apatow and Steven Brill, writer of "The Mighty Ducks" films, it was as if the two conspired to plant a seed for a type of humor that kids my age at the time would come to identify as their own as they entered the PG-13 and R-rated age. Tony Perkis, for example, is the spitting character image of Stiller's White Goodman from "Dodgeball" and yet to me he is just as amusing doing his patented whispery intimidating voice now despite my countless repeated viewings of "Dodgeball." There's also a classic overnight camp comedy sense of humor in "Heavyweights" like the kids getting beat in sports by their rival camp, an awkward dance mixer with a normal girls camp and when the kids unload the candy stashes they've snuck in camp into secret compartments -- as well as the run-of-the-mill fart jokes. Characters such as Tony's hysterical right-hand European man Lars, however, were way ahead of their time. "Heavyweights" is pretty immature and excludes girls (because fat girls would be too taboo for the '90s). Its typical camp movie plot as well as its "overthrow-the-bad-guy" story arch - - which ruled the '90s -- come off as stale. But ignore those distractions and "Heavyweights" is a funny, quotable movie with some classic scenes, which is all a kid (or someone trying to go back and grab some nostalgia) really wants. ~Steven C Visit my site at http://moviemusereviews.com

This was simply one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It was recommended by a now-former friend. The plot was clearly slapped together by three zombies from "The Walking Dead" (or a C- list Damon/Affleck non-sexual couple) and made about as much sense as Ron Paul ; the "we can do anything even though we're fat" message was ham-handed at best, and as blunt as Sarah Palin on a particularly stupid day; the dialog was wooden -- which make sense because so were the actors. I literally couldn't see the forest for the trees. Its the sort of movie that makes you pray for a forest fire, or for Jason Voorhees to show up and put a stop to this nonsense. That's the only ending that could have improved this movie: mass slaughter, starting with the writers. I'm stunned at how bad it is, in all honesty. I can't imagine how it got made. I really can't. The voice-over narration of the kid's letter home to grandma was filled with lines like, "Together, we can do anything!" and "We all love ourselves now" -- yet they feel that way after doing absolutely nothing to earn that confidence except promise to lead healthier lives after a night of binging. I laughed only because I can't believe that someone read the script and said yes. Avoid this movie. It's not an enjoyable mess, just a mess; on a brighter note, it is an epic triumph for writers and producers lacking talent, grace, and apparently basic intelligence.

It's really too bad that summer camps aren't as prevalent in today's society as they used to be. It was a way for kids to get away for a few months every summer. It was a chance to be on your own (away from parents anyway), visit a place that you would otherwise never see, have what may be the most important experiences of your childhood, and make friends that you would truly never forget. Kids just do not get that today. The only way they can really experience the magic of summer camp is in the movies. Unfortunately there are not many movies that really show that experience. Meatballs (1979, with Bill Murray) may very well be the best example, and Indian Summer (1996) shows how those friendships last when a group of 30 year old former campers reunite at the summer camp of their youth. But here with Heavyweights, we have another great, if not to realistic portrayal of the summer camp experience. Camp Hope is a camp that caters strictly to fat kids. It's where they go to lose weight, and make friends with other kids that may also be considered outcasts back home because of their weight. But in fat camp, all kids are equal. At least until the kind owners of the camp, The Pushkins, are forced to sell the camp to a villainous fitness guru wannabe, played with demonic zeal by Ben Stiller. It is, in fact, a performance Stiller would virtually copy for the movie Dodgeball. He attempts to force the kids to lose weight through, shall we say, questionable methods in order to create a weight loss infomercial. But the kids, rebel, take over the camp, and have summer their way. There are many classic moments, such as the kids "downloading" their stash of candies and snacks in various hiding places, Ben Stiller's interrogation of kids that are actually gaining weight, a competition with the jocks from Camp MVP across the lake, and many more. There's also scenes showing that the kids can be anything they want if they just apply themselves. Such as a dance with the girls from across the lake. At first everyone just stands around. But when the boys start dancing, the girls join in, and success is in the air, until Stiller shows up to degrade the boys again. Sure this movie is by the numbers, but it's a fun ride, with great characters, beautiful scenery, and a villain who couldn't be more over the top. Epitomized by the scene where Stiller somersaults from a second story window, hits the floor, quietly says to himself "Ouch", and whips his head into a full villain "Nobody's gonna stop me" speech. Great family movie.

I was reading about Ben Stiller on IMDb discussion boards and plenty of people recommended Heavy Weights (1995) as one of his best comedy films. Oh, boy! This is one of the most disgusting and stupid films I've ever seen - the jokes were so lame (really, do people still laugh at fart jokes?! - Probably fat people do ...), Ben Stiller's character was pathetic rather than funny and the obese boys - well, they were too self-indulging, spoiled (and most of them - hm, ugly) to be appealing in any way. Instead of amusing I found the film dangerous - it promotes stuffing with junk food, encourages undisciplined behavior and on top of all - promulgates fat people as cleverer than thin and fit ones, while the truth is that junk food and lack of exercise is bad for brain development. Do not waist your time with this crap, life is too short, watch a better movie.

The film is great, I don't need to write another review of the synopsis as there are so many below, but if you have any sense of humour at all you'll like this movie. If you're a dried up 60 year old prune reminiscing about the good old days of black and white cinema when you could see a film + popcorn for a shilling and sixpence, you'll hate it. Great for kids, enough stupid stuff to keep them entertained, Fantastic for teenagers/people in their 20s, enough sick/dry humour to satisfy and make you think 'holy crap can they say that in a DISNEY film????', and older middle aged people with a sense of humour will see its quirky side too. I just have one question, at one point with the seymour butts joke, does anyone know what josh actually says, as his joke is totally out of sync with his lip movements.

Overweight high school student Aaron Schwartz (as Gerald "Gerry" Garner) thinks summer camp might be fun, but doesn't want to attend when he learns "Camp Hope" caters to portly adolescents. His parents make young Schwartz go anyway, hoping the experience will make him thinner. Initially, Schwartz finds it a fun place where fat kids smuggle in tons of candy. But quickly, the owners go bankrupt and oily fitness guru Ben Stiller (as Tony Perkis) takes over management. He immediately makes the boys camp a living hell... Flatulence, a four-letter-word, and Ben Stiller are used for laughs in this Disney production. There are ample overweight people in the cast, with whom weighty audience members can identity. The students are portrayed as fairly active, although it doesn't seem to benefit their health. Actual weight loss is not celebrated by these "Heavy Weights". The comedy team Stiller and Meara have a cameo as the camp's original owners; perhaps not coincidently, they are Ben Stiller's parents. Ben shows off nice hair and has a lot of exercise scenes. **** Heavy Weights (2/17/95) Steven Brill ~ Aaron Schwartz, Ben Stiller, Tom McGowan, Shaun Weiss

Heavyweights School's out for the summer, and Gerry Garner (Aaron Schwartz, 'The Mighty Ducks') eagerly forecasts weeks of lazing around the house. That is, until his parents (Jeffrey Tambor and Nancy Ringham) inform him that they have signed him up for a holiday at Camp Hope, a "fat camp" that, unbeknownst to Gerry, is about to be bought out by mentally unhinged exercise guru Tony Perkis (Ben Stiller), and turned into a rigorous fitness facility for youths. Tony pumps the fun out of the whole summer, and, with his assistant Lars (Tom Hodges, 'Lucas'), punishes anybody who tries to break his totalitarian grip on the camp. Together with his new friends (including Kenan Thompson and Shaun Weiss) and the camp's original staff (including Tom McGowan and Leah Lail), Gerry must stop Tony's brutal regime, and take back the camp at all costs. Family films are usually simple, but it's somewhat confusing when said film wants the audience to sympathise with a certain group of people, while piling on the jokes at their expense. 'Heavyweights' squeezes onto the screen from Steven Brill (the writer behind the hit 'Mighty Ducks' franchise), who is calling the shots for the first time with this flaccid comedy. 'Heavyweights' boasts a ho-hum message of learning to accept people for who they are, and not what they may look like. And, this being a Disney film, Brill (co-writing here with Judd Apartow, "The Ben Stiller Show") is given the opportunity to bash the audience over the head with it. I accept and support the observations that Brill shares with the audience; after all, it could work wonders for the self-esteem of those – both old and young – who are sensitive about their shape. I'm sure others would too, and with 'Heavyweights', there's a perfect chance to address a problem in our schools, a problem that's becoming too widespread and serious to be swept under the carpet. But what does Brill do? Takes this potential and goes in completely the wrong direction, slapping a (un)funny face onto a very important issue. When Brill isn't messing around with crude toilet humour and lumbering slapstick, the crux of most of the gags is mainly poking fun at the fat kids (doesn't this happen enough in the classroom?), who are insultingly portrayed as mischievous, food-obsessed youngsters with a deep abhorrence of any kind of physical activity. There's even one riling scene where one of the youngsters is lured into helping Tony out of a sticky situation with the offer of a chocolate, and another where the kids perform a celebratory, almost ritualistic night-time dance around a bonfire as they cover themselves with fatty foods. Then, to counterbalance this, Brill lazily writes off the visiting kids from the other, "non-fat" summer camps as either mean or dumb (whereas the overweight children are the exact opposite – if only real life were that simple!). The wit in Brill's script is foul enough to deter most people from enjoying it, but with tough-talking black kids, stiff-upper-lip Brits, burly Germans and homophobic-tinged jokes tacked on, virtually no-one in the audience will be able to escape the offensive, paradoxical inanity of 'Heavyweights'. The only performer to emerge from this nonsense relatively unscathed is Ben Stiller. A television star (and ex-"Saturday Night Live" cast member) making a shot at a film career, Stiller's performance as the muscular, neurotic Tony Perkis is quite irksome - and, unlike the rest of the film, in a good way. What a shame, then, that Brill didn't seem to realise this, as Perkis's often-uproarious descent into insanity is pushed to the backburner of the film far too many times. Also, Stiller's character dives so far into caricature along the way that the actor can barely keep the film up on his brawny shoulders. Stiller is an able comedian, but this unexpected detour into family film land just doesn't fit, particularly in the wake of his cult generation-X tribute, last February's 'Reality Bites'. ~ 4/10 ~