Customer Reviews
An absolute CLASSIC 
2008-09-07
This movie is funny no matter how old you are. It is silly enough for children, yet mature enough for adults. This is Ben Stiller at his best, before his "neurotic weirdo" persona became his calling card. There are so many good moments in this movie, and it gets funnier the more I watch it. If you're looking for a brilliant script, you won't find it here. But if you're looking for laughs and a lot of fun, look nowhere else.
BODY!!! 
2008-09-02
I remember enjoying HEAVYWEIGHTS growing up, and I quoted it a lot, which is strange, because I never really watched it past the adolescent point. Just today I viewed it again as a sophomore in college, and I've come to a strange conclusion: this movie is simultaneously a dumb kids movie and a... well, dumb, but very funny, comedy. This is largely due to Ben Stiller's over-the-top performance as Tony Perkis, aka the prequel to his White Goodman character in DODGEBALL, as well as Tom Hodges as Lars (which I'm pretty sure is the role he's known for, considering... well, who the hell is Tom Hodges? No offense, Tom), one of Tony's muscle-bound idiots who is from... far away. The kids have their funny parts, but they mostly account for the farting, eating, and farting while eating jokes.
Anyway, the story concerns overweight 11-year-old Gerry Garner, whose parents send him to Camp Hope, a summer camp for overweight kids. He starts to feel comfortable there because everyone else likes to stuff their faces with sugar just as much as him. Then the sh- sorry, Disney movie- poopie hits the fan, as the sweet old couple (Stiller's parents, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller) who owns the camp are replaced by Perkis, a self-help exercise guru determined to turn these fatties into brawny Schwarzeneggers by the end of summer, all of which will be filmed for an infomercial to aid Perkis' career. The first half of the movie is the kids facing Perkis' strictness, while the second half is them rebelling. Along the way, there's a tepid romance between Pat (Tom McGowan), the former-camper-turned-sweet-counselor, and Julie (Leah Lail), the sweet camp nurse, and some added wackiness from Paul 'creator of FREAKS & GEEKS' Feig as Tim, the skinny counselor who used to be a fat camper.
There is a lot of talent involved here: Stiller, Feig, and most notably Judd Apatow, who co-wrote and executive produced, and who of course would also do the same for FREAKS, thus establishing his burgeoning career as of late (and Seth Rogen and James Franco's, I'm sure). Then there's director Steven Brill, who also did THE MIGHTY DUCKS, a few Adam Sandler films (LITTLE NICKY, MR. DEEDS, as well as apperances in others like BIG DADDY), and Apatow and Rogen's DRILLBIT TAYLOR. So it's obvious where the laughs came from. The rest is a typical, clichéd kids movie, but once you see Stiller walk defiantly on broken glass to prove his inner and outer strength, none of that will matter, dear campers.
Funny 2008-08-15
Great DVD. Amazon delivered this dvd on time (Before the expected date), in great condition and kept me posted from the time it left them, to the time it was put into my Mailbox. Highly recomend, and definatly will be shopping with Amazon agan.
Childhood Classic 2008-07-27
The movie is lacking in a lot of areas- some only middling performances, some overly quick plot developments, but overall the film is a great success and a classic of childhood. Its lesson of being yourself and not obsessing about weight issues is inspirational and fun to watch. It's additionally notable as one of the few really good over-the-top performances from Ben Stiller, a nice cameo from Tim Blake Nelson, and an early writing credit from Judd Apatow.
Cute movie 
2008-07-23
Cute movie - good for the whole family. I just wish the DVD would have included extras like outtakes or deleted scenes.
Great, Classic Hard-To-Find Movie! 2008-06-13
A teenager is sent to a summer fat camp and teams up with the other campers to overthrow the dictatorial camp director.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG
Release Date: 7-FEB-2006
Media Type: DVD
Ben Stiller? 2008-06-09
This is an enjoyable family movie (despite some slight crude humor).
It's not Ben Stiller's finest, but there are some great one-liners in the film. I suggest checking it out on youtube before buying.
If your Fat or like Revenge 2008-04-07
This is a great family movie but it's also funny. If you've ever been fat or picked on and wanted to get revenge this movie has got it all. I love the movie and it's one of my favorites to watch more than 5 times.
BUDDDEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! 2008-02-10
The best thing I can say about Heavyweights is that it probably wouldn't be made today. It pulls no punches, pokes fun at all the most questionable places, and avoids political correctness.
Heavyweights is the story of a bunch of fat kids at a fat kid summer camp. They all attend because their parents want them to lose weight, and on its surface, that's what the camp is about. However, the camp owners actually have a great place, with all sorts of games, activities, and even go-karts. Unfortunately for the piglets, the camp is under new management.
The new owner Tony Perkins (Ben Stiller) has a grandiose idea to "help" these kids lose weight, and run a successful camp. His ulterior motive, however, is to use film footage of his camp experience and make an infomercial from which he plans to make millions. His methodology at the camp: exercise torture.
In a matter of no time, the camp is in chaos, all the kids are terrified, and Tony Perkins has instituted policies that make camp life a living hell. There's a ton of exercise, psychological warfare, and basic training-level discipline. This is where the hilarity ensues.
A collection of comedy follows, in what could easily be seen as the tgrue beginning to Ben Stiller's career. Jabs at both the lazy habits and self-defeating nature of the obese, as well as those who loathe them, keep the laughs coming. I particularly loved the scene in which the kids are all at the lake, basically tied to one another, yelling "Buuudddyyyyy!" to prove they were watching one another - a hilariously great idea for the lazy personnel manager.
Will the kids lose weight? Will they survive? Will Perkins keep the camp and make huge money with his infomercial? Who cares...it's hilarious, just sit back and enjoy the fat jokes.
If only there was widescreen...... 2007-12-06
Yes the only complaint I have about this release is that it's not in widescreen! They've shown this movie in widescreen in HD on HBO so there is a widescreen print to use but oh well. I can always hope for a future release. The movie itself is fantastic, always providing plenty of laughs with every viewing. While it's no Ernest Goes to Camp, it's still a great film in and of itself.
