User reviews

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

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What's not to love about this movie. It's a classic 90's shenanigan comedy with the tubbies from The Mighty Ducks. They work so well together as a cast and their chemistry really shows. Although the movie's funny it doesn't start to get really good until about halfway through. It's rude, crude and childish with a carefree spirit...so moronic but you can't take it too seriously.

I do agree that it's a poor example of glutinous behaviour but even a child can tell that this is a gross over exaggeration and nobody commends this sort of diet and laziness. In saying that it's funny and not necessary about food. It's about losers becoming winners and the clinically insane getting what they deserve. And who doesn't like to watch that.

Most fun I've had with a movie in a long time. A film doesn't need to be a masterpiece to be enjoyable

Heavyweights was a movie that will not teach you any lessons. All this movie will teach you to do is have the time of your life whenever you are released from school for the summer. However, I still think that the movie Camp Nowhere was a little bit better though.

11 year old fat kid Jerry (Aaron Schwartz) finds out that his parents are sending him to Camp Hope for the summer. He gets excited by the idea at first until he discovers that it's a camp for fat children. After he is forced to go, he arrives and meets a ton of cool kids even though their fat also. He immediatley fits in the group and everyone is happy until the owners of the camp discover that they're being replaced by the psycho health nut Tony Perkis (Ben Stiller). Tony puts the boys through nothing but a living nightmare because he makes them work out 24/7 and doesn't let them eat anything good or let them have any fun. So the boys put their heads together and work on a plan to take down Tony and take the camp over themselves to have some FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must say that this was one of Ben Stiller's very first movies and he did such a hilarious job with the character.

Heavyweights is a very entertaining family comedy that will leave you laughing even while the credits are rolling.

I think that I could do this review simply by saying "Judd Apatow." Every thing this man writes ranges from good to great, so it does not surprise me that I enjoyed this movie so much. Comprised of some well known actors from The Mighty Ducks series, including, wait for it, Gooooldberg, these young stars (well, young at the time) put on quite the show. When Tony Perkins (Ben Stiller) buys Camp Hope none of the campers could have known just how bad things would become, but frankly, I enjoyed watching.

This movie, which I deem viewable for all ages, is the type of light-hearted comedy that I loved in the 90′s and still love today. All of the campers are funny in their own way, and they have memorable performances. To this day I still hear people shout, "Watch out for Salami Sam" when they jump into a pool. Ben Stiller's performance, which unfortunately was pretty much recycled years later in dodgeball, was at the time hilarious and unique. One of the most under-rated shinning stars of this move is Tom Hodges who plays Lars, a counselor at Tony's camp who is from "far away." The acting/writing combination, along with a bit of 90′s nostalgia makes 'Heavy Weights' a great movie to watch.

Heavyweights is the story of a group of kids who with the help of their counselor go on a mission to take back their fat camp from a crazy man who has never interacted with kids before (played by Ben Stiller) who is intend on making it into a money making informercial.

I first saw this as a child, and absolutely loved it. I must have watched it again on at least 5 other occassions. Recently I was in the video store and came across a copy of it for sale. After convincing my friend to buy it , we went back to his house and popped it into the VCR. I wondered if the film would hold up after all these years. Did it? Absolutely! In fact I may have gotten bigger laughs this time around.

I do not understand why this film has a 5.1 rating, after reminding this movie to my friends they all recalled loving it, and everyone I recently watched it with loved it. Ben Stiller's character is hillarious, and the rest of the cast is great. Besides Ben, Kenan Thompson is the only other actor in this who went on to become somewhat of a star, which is suprising because all the kids give great performances. Tom Mcgowan, the man who plays Pat, seemed to be chosen for the role because Chris Farley passed on it, and John Candy died, but he gives a great performance.

I know it sounds cliche, but Heavyweights is truly one of the few movies that people of all ages will love.

9/10

"Heavyweights" is a mid-90's Disney film about a fat camp taken over by the villainous fatboy-turned-success Tony Perkis. While the premise is not so novel, the execution is great and keeps you pretty entertained throughout.

Some of the humor is dated, very 90's-specific. However, there is plenty of timeless, cross-generational humor, and Ben Stiller is absolutely at the top of his game. He would reprise this role many times again in his career: the guy with low self-esteem who becomes an overcompensating jerk. Tom McGowan, who plays a Camp Hope lifer, also plays a solid role and draws many laughs.

Sure, it's another Disney story about underdog kids who end up conquering the odds... or something like that. But Stiller and McGowan are great, and the kids do a pretty admirable too. It's not a must-see movie, but you also won't feel like you wasted your time for having watched it.

This is the best movie ever. I have watched it 1192 times. Ben Stiller's performance is excellent and the kids, although amateur, provide many, many, many laughs. This is a great movie to sit back and watch when you feel like using no brain power. The comedy is completely mindless and hilarious. Watching a group of obese children being "torchered" by a diet-obsessed ex-heavyweight is a great premise for a movie. it has all the elements of a good movie: you laugh, you celebrate, and maybe, (if you're extremely sensitive) cry. I don't know how you can't absolutely love this movie. My praises for this movie know almost no bounds. This is just a great movie. Well, I'm going to go achieve 1193!

This was a very entertaining movie for my kids who had never seen Meatballs, that great late 70s flick with Bill Murry, his first I believe. I was only 9 when that came out and had not seen it in about 10 years when I saw Heavyweights, but almost immediately the comparisions come flowing -- you can't help but see them. Same movie as Meatballs, but worse. My (5 yr) son thought it was funny at times. But "Meatballs" is ripped off throughout. Ultimately Meatballs is the far better movie. Many scenes taken straight from Meatballs. Go cart scene is same as Rudy the Rabbit race at end. They chant the counselor name like they chanted "Spaz" in Meatballs. Stiller is great. And this movie is a good view. But, Meatballs holds up much better now that this movie is 15 years old.

This is one of the funniest movies I've seen. And fat people will not be offended, I have friends that have really been to "fat camp" and they were laughing harder than I was, and I really don't see what's so gross about it. This is a great film go out and rent it. 9.5 out of 10.

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

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.

Gerry Garner along with other chubby kids are sent to Camp Hope, a fat camp. The camp was owned by the kindly Bushkins but they went bankrupt. The camp is taken over by motivational wildman Tony Perkis (Ben Stiller) intend on making them skinnier to promote himself. Lars is his militaristic henchman. Tim (Paul Feig) and Pat Finley (Tom McGowan) are the gentle counselor holdovers from before. Julie (Leah Lail) is the pretty nurse. The kids has to battle Tony as they prepare for the Apache Relay against Camp MVP's jocks.

Written by Judd Apatow and Steven Brill, this is a showcase for Ben Stiller to do a crazy character. He's working out stuff to be used in later characters and has some funny moments. The adult actors are OK but the kids are mostly duds. The supposed lead kid is weak. I think that's the main problem. I like the kids but they're not funny. Shaun Weiss and Kenan Thompson are the best of the kids. The jokes are just not there. There is an interesting idea of making fun of fat camp. The directions from Brill is limited.

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 just caught this on TBS last night, and I was interested in how I would like it this time, since I remember my friends and I were laughing our heads off when we watched it in 6th grade. Well, apparently I've matured or something, because it wasn't all that funny. However, it still is an enjoyable movie, if only because the actors are having such a good time with their roles.

I've never cared too much for Ben Stiller, but I have to admit he is hilarious here. He's much better as a maniacal villain than the repetitive, unfunny characters he's been playing ever since. And Tom McGowan, while not particularly funny, has an aura of charm that makes him instantly likable. He's a talented actor, and it's a shame he hasn't been in more movies.

The kids are good, too, especially Kenan Thompson (who is impossible not to like no matter WHAT movie he's in) and Shaun Weiss. The movie itself consists a bunch of silly fat jokes and slapstick, and some rather shady morals, but with such a great, eager cast, you really can't complain about it. All in all, it's a fun movie that anyone can enjoy.

This is truly the best movie that has ever gushed from the loins of Disney. I have 7 copies in constant rotation, each dedicated to a particular weekday for viewing. I quit my job and collect social security to support my habit,as well as stuffing envelopes during the rewind phase. On the weekends when my grandma comes over to clean, she usually plays Lars or Tony, and I get to be Gerry Garner. Once I asked some Jehovah's witnesses to be Nicholas and Simms, but one talked too much and the other had a crappy English accent. I used a microwave box to make my own go-kart in the living room for me to sit in when I get to part the wild horse's mane. I'm doggen 'em, Pat! I'm doggen 'em!

A film that I am confident is only known by name by the most committed of Disney fans and those that regularly plunge into the deep depths of cult film fandom, Heavyweights is a Mouse House production that failed to take-off in the mid 90's but has since, against all expectations, found itself garnering a small but committed collection of fans that have found joys in this 'fat camp" family comedy that is far more enjoyable than it has any right being.

Directed by Steven Brill who was riding high after writing The Mighty Ducks a few years prior to this films release and who would later go on to direct such comedic masterpieces as Little Nicky, Mr. Deeds, Walk of Shame and Hubie Halloween, Heavyweights has a load of talent in front of and behind the camera with future comedy kingpin Judd Apatow one of the films writers and producers and the likes of Ben Stiller (channeling his future Dodgeball persona here), director/actor Paul Feig, Kenan Thompson, Jeffrey Tambor, Jerry Stiller and Tim Blake Nelson all appearing throughout Brill's outing that relishes in its oddball charm and bizarre antics.

Following the camp escapades of Aaron Schwartz's overweight Gerry Garner, whose summer plans are scuttled when his parents ship him off to Camp Hope only for Gerry to find himself and his friends lives upturned by the camp's sudden acquisition courtesy of Ben Stiller's crazed fitness guru and life coach Tony Perkis, Heavyweights follows a familiar narrative of sticking it too the man and the underdogs rising up to win the day but there's something very un-Disney about this production that feels more in line with a comedy such as Naked Gun/Top Secret or a Lonely Island adventure, even if at most times this is a very PC comedy from a group that would later on delve more into adult orientated comedy features.

From Stiller's scene chewing, classical music infused montages of river swims, a need to be seen to be believed late night food binge and some witty one liner's "Attention campers. Lunch has been cancelled due to lack of hustle. Deal with it", Heavyweights mixes its life lessons and attempt at heart warming messages with an abundance of crazed antics that ensures this is one of those rare Disney family films that is actually just as easy to watch as an adult as it would be as a child and is arguably one of the best examples of this type of a Disney offering from their active 90's heydays.

Only discovering the existence of this film thanks to the endlessly informative world that is Reddit, Heavyweights is the forgotten Disney film worth checking out with guaranteed smiles coming your way once you join the crew of Camp Hope for a summer adventure you'll be glad you joined in on.

Final Say -

It might not be a name brand offering and it's far from groundbreaking but Heavyweights is the Disney film you never knew you needed too see and acts as curious piece of the puzzle of the beginnings of many of Hollywood's biggest comedy players.

3 1/2 devil logs out of 5.

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 ~

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.

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.

Ben Stiller is awesome, and is the only thing good about this movie. Everything else is just terrible. Those kids are so immoral, spoiled, and disgusting. The children are pouting way to much about dieting and exercise?? OH GOD, NO! Sits ups,jogging,eating salads and lean meat!!Give me a break, if I were Ben I'd put those kids in boot camp too. This movie is way too left minded, and way too sad. I wouldn't be surprised if all of those kids have a heart attack at 25. Should have listened to Ben, kiddies.

And what really made me mad was when the obese kids were quizzed against the normal weight kids about math/science/history, and the normal weight kids didn't know anything. Disney should be ashamed for promoting obesity and insinuating that obese children are smarter than normal weight children.

This is by far, the worst movie Disney has ever made.