"Fat Albert" can be called a kind of update on the classic cartoon created by Bill Cosby. Instead of a straightforward live-action adaptation of the animated show, the story brings the characters through the TV into the real world. When Fat Albert comes to solve Doris' troubles, he and his friends find a much different world than the one they knew in the 1970s. And complications arise when Albert falls for Doris' foster sister Lauri. It's an interesting concept having the characters change their personalities as they stay in the real world (Mushmouth can speak clearly, Weird Harold isn't so awkward, etc.). And older viewers will feel nostalgic seeing the classic characters. But a sharp eye can tell the animated versions of the characters in the movie are dramatically different from the cartoon as it actually was. (That was one problem critics had with the movie.) But the movie is still good for some laughs, and even has some touching moments. On the whole, it's a good family movie.
Review of Fat Albert
