Critic's Grade: B

"I'm not going to a camp with a bunch of fat loads!" rebels eleven-year-old Gerry Garner (Aaron Schwartz) when he comes home to what he believes will be a summer of hanging out; unfortunately for him, his parents have signed him up for attendance at Camp Hope, where the go carts race and the pounds don't so necessarily fly as much as they are packed on. Once he arrives at the camp, greeted by counselor and longtime attendee Pat Finley (Tom McGowan), he finds that things aren't going to be so bad after all. That is, until the camp's creators and owners announce their buy-out by fitness guru Tony Perkis (Ben Stiller), who intends to turn what was once a sunny summer getaway into every fat kid's worst nightmare. From "Perkisizing" to routine candy inspections, the kids of Camp Hope have no hope... or do they?

Marking one of their better live-action entries with a funny story and even funnier characters, Disney brings to "Heavyweights" a good deal of charm and humor that makes for agreeable viewing even for adults. The feel-good nature of the film's message concerning self-acceptance and personal responsibility is quite catchy, helmed nicely by writers Judd Apatow and Steven Brill, who also directs. Their script is ripe with one-liners and situations that are as satisfying as a Snickers bar, brought to life by actors- both child and adult- who add a sweet sincerety and liveliness to the goings-on. It's nothing if not predictable, and you can practically see the patented Disney moralizing throughout its entire, but when all is said and eaten, "Heavyweights" makes for sizeable entertainment.

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