Customer Reviews

Heavyweights [VHS]

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is by far Ben Stiller's best performance ever, and if you can't appreciate it you obviously haven't seen it enough times. These people who give the movie one star, spouting non-sense about it putting skinny people in a false light, are simply incompetent. I'm skinny and when I sleep I make a very disturbing sound don't be alawmed I'm fine, and my feelings aren't hurt by this movie. These critics are spreaders of negativity and I won't have them corrupting my cult movie. How would their fathers like to know that their children are destroyers. Here is a suggestion for watching the movie...watch it in a large group of people who truly appreciate it and can quote it, fast-forward till Ben Stiller arrives, watch the movie fast-forwarding through the sappy fat kid moments like the go-cart and dock ("keep your washboard stomachs and oily muscles") scenes and press stop when Ben Stiller leaves. You will learn valuable lessons like regardless of whether or not it will "smush" always have crazy guys locked up in cages through over hershey's kisses making your queen proud, and that lunch can be cancelled due to lack of hustle. In closing I have one final thing to say "Come on you devil log."

This movie is hilarious!! Someone reviewed this movie on cd now and said that the messege to the movie is that fat kids are better then everyone else and all the healthy kids are stupid, and that it's full of stereotypical stuff. Well, if you happen to pay attention to the movie a little then you'd see that the messege to the movie was that over weight kids can do just as much as skinny kids and it also says that you shouldn't make fun of someone just because they are bigger and more heavy. It also says to be happy for who you are, even if you are a big kid. Anyway, I love this movie, I watch it whenever it is on and I end up telling my self, "I gotta buy this movie". So I'll have to buy it sometime. Ben Stiller is hilarious in "Heavyweights". Ben Stiller Plays the new owner of Camp Hope, and he puts all the kids on really unsafe diets. Like 20 mile hikes, food deprevation, and more. All the kids at the camp decide to rebel against him! I'd give this movie more stars if I could. Really great movie!!

Pulsating under multiple layers of make-up, Ben Stiller's portrayel of camp owner Tony Perkis is one of the finest performences in cinematic history. While critics will say this film hits you over the head with mindless fat jokes and a mediocre message, the underlying reality is that somehow Stiller overcame what, at one point, must have been an inane Disney script. This movie is a triumph mixing pre teen psychological angst, satirical anarexic paranoia, sentimental summer hijinks, and subtle detailed infomercial insanity. From the "blob" to the black kid, the underlying themes of society's acceptance and approval bubble through the seemingly unilayered comedic glory. "I rise, I rise, I rise" sings the movie's spirit between the wonderfully chosen songs on its soundtrack. (Keep an eye out for who's REALLY playing "Papa" at the end--wink wink). This movie could not be improved. Now that Kubrick is gone we have one name to look to. Bravo, Mr. Stiller (either one) Bravo!

finally a movie that shows that us overweight kids can do as much as those healthy kids this movie is very funny and entertaining i first saw this movie on disney channel and i loved it right away and i went straight to amazon.com to buy that movie this movie is funny its the best!! and the movie also shows that us overwieght kids really can do as much as healthy kids buy this movie its funny and entertaining and it also shows a true message

My brothers and I rented this movie a long time ago. We watched it whenever it was on the Disney Channel and finally got the DVD. I have since realized that it is among the best comedies made in the 90's, despite a rather didactic message about self-esteem, obesity, and other fat-person cliches.

There are so many classic parts of this movie. Give most of the credit to Ben Stiller, because he steals the show. This movie wouldn't be a tenth as good as it is now without Stiller. But some of the fat kids are pretty funny too. Of course, you have to deal with all the cheese that comes with almost every Disney movie, but it's worth putting up with. I never get tired of watching it. I can't say enough about Ben Stiller. It's probably his best performance ever, and he even resurrects his character for the movie Dodgeball. There are a lot of lines in the movie that are so strange you can't help but laugh. The ending is pretty bad, with the fatties winning the competition, but that's to be expected, right? Get this DVD and only watch the funny parts.

This is one of my kids favorite movies. They have watched it more than 5 times. Therefore, it is a BUY and good value. This is not one of those dvd's they play once and then it gathers dust forever....

Disney strikes again, ruining another
classic with a DVD sans- widescreen format,
remastered video, or special features.

I'm not arguing against the fact that
Heavyweights is a masterpiece but...

If you can put 5.1 on a movie that lends
itself to 2 actual surround sound moments,
then consider adding the following on the
10 yr Anniversary Edition:

commentary by stiller and cast
original marketing stills
"Oh, Wow- GoKarts" - an original feature documentary
Papa Perkis' Recipies for Dieters
Leah Lail on finding the infirmary
"Cody Wants to Have Fun" a featurette by Cody Burger
"Tranformational Facilitators and Me" promo


until then Disney Classic DVD's,
You stink, you stink, you stink, you stink!

12 year old Gerry Garner joins a group of "heavy" kids that are sent to their favorite fat camp for the summer, "Camp Hope" (a place where they're supposed to lose weight, but instead have a fun time). The kids find out that the camp has been sold to a crazy fitness instructor named Tony Perkins (Ben Stiller), so now, the camp has turned into a living hell for the kids. No more candy, or fun things like Go Karts and "The Blob". Tony wants the kids to lose weight, so he'll be able to make a profit from his fitness TV commercials (he has a camera man follow him around the camp). However, the kids rebel against Tony, because they want to have fun, not exercise, therefore, Tony starts to go crazy (in a hilarious way), so he decides to counter their actions, for example: one day, he takes their lunch away, and on another day, takes them on a 20 mile hike, among other things. Gerry and his new friends, along with the original camp staff members Pat, who has visited the camp every summer for the past 18 years, and a goofy counselor named Tim who became fit before the summer, as well as a new nurse named Julie, decide to take the camp back.

Ben Stiller is HILARIOUS in this movie. Seeing him as an insane health nut, patting kids down, searching for a pez dispenser or watching his character getting mad at the kids is great. While the film is not a cinema masterpiece, Stiller's performance in this film is great, and he delivers some of the funniest lines I've heard in a movie. His character in this film is like a younger version of White Goodman in "Dodgeball". Is this a guilty pleasure? Definitely.

As for the DVD, in 2002, Disney established a new policy whereby any movies that they feel have limited adult appeal will be released on DVD in Pan & Scan only. No widescreen DVD. They've reneged a bit since then, but many titles from their live action catalogue have made their DVD debuts exclusively in reformatted fullscreen. This affects every unreleased live action Disney film, particularly those that the studio suspects have limited appeal outside of children. THEREFORE, this film, like many Disney classics, is only available on DVD in fullscreen (pan and scan). BLEH!

If you're looking for a reason to watch this movie, the one on the top of your list should be: Ben Stiller. HE plays the crazy new camp director who's trying to get the campers to slim down. His character is just so zany it holds up the rest of the movie. Memorable lines: "I'm feeling skinny Tony!", "As director of this camp I'm looking forward to interacting with kids for the first time", "Someone help me get these salamies off my back", and, "Congratulations Mr. Simms,...you are the fatest boy in camp". This is the kind of movie where you'll remember the characters for their wackiness and wit.

When Gerry Garner is forced to go to a summer camp for kids who are fat by his parents, he hates the idea that he has to go becuase he wants to stay home for the summer and vegitate.But whne he arrives there, he makes new makes new friends, and realizes that the place is great. Soon after his arrival, the owners of this "Camp Hope" anounce that they have sold the camp to the to Tony Perkis(Ben Stiller). Not being so crazy about this idea, they begin to realize that he is nuts.He is obsessed with turing this fun summer camp into a weight loss infomercial.At the end on parents day , the gang reveals to there parents that he is nuts, and have him taken away.Ben Stiller is brilliantly funny in this movie. A must see.