YMMV / Fat Albert

• Audience-Alienating Premise: Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids leave their cartoon universe and go to the real world. It's as ridiculous and confusing as it sounds, especially considering the fact that Fat Albert is a down-to-earth Slice of Life show.
  • In more modern times, the simple fact that it's a film based on a Bill Cosby creation is enough to drive many people away.
• Cliché Storm: Everything about the movie's pretty much what you'd expect out of a Real-World Episode / Fish out of Water story. There's really nothing new or fresh to offer. In fact, the whole idea of going to the real world seems redundant, since the original series is a slice of life show.
• Harsher in Hindsight: The movie has Bill Cosby portrayed positively.
• Narm Charm: The Fat Albert rap is cheesy and corny, but it has a cool beat.
• Tear Jerker: The final scene. You see Bill Cosby and the real (as in REAL) world counterparts of the Cosby Kids, all aged and forlorn, Mushmouth's counterpart even in a wheelchair... standing before the grave of Albert Robertson — their Fat Albert. As Bill walks by each of them, the character they inspired appears, even his own, while they all look on at their departed, beloved friend with grief-stricken faces... accompanied by painfully sad music. However, it turns into a Heartwarming Moment when the gang holds a fun-spirited race in the graveyard, with the old Mushmouth being pushed by the old Weird Harold. Despite their old age, they're still kids at heart — just like the characters they inspired.
  • The scene gets lampshaded moments later when Fat Albert pops out of the TV screen and says to a woman in the audience, "Do I detect tears?"
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: Mushmouth never had or needed a translator in the series since most of what he said was clear to its audience, but the creators decided to put Weird Harold as the translator for some reason. It is clever at times, though.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
  • The writers attempt to give Laurie a backstory and character arc, but it's only around for two scenes and it isn't really spoken of for the rest of the movie. She mainly just exists to give Fat Albert an excuse to be conflicted about going back to the TV.
  • Mudfoot doesn't really get to do anything and just appears for two brief cameos.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: Albert wanting to stay with Lauri would be interesting, if maybe they knew each other for more than just one whole day.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: We are supposed to feel bad for Fat Albert being conflicted on whether to go back home or stay in the real world to be with Lauri. Maybe we would if he didn't know her for literally a day and a half.
• Visual Effects of Awesome: While not necessarily groundbreaking, the visuals used to show the cartoon characters transforming into real people hold up pretty well.

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