Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that because of the high school setting and gentle boy-girl crushes that partially drive the story, Fat Albert will have more appeal for middle grade kids and tweens. However, other than a few cartoonish pratfalls and an avalanche of product placement, there's no iffy material for kids of any age. It's a well-intentioned, ethnically diverse, and wholesome movie with lots of clearly stated messages.

Sexual Content

Two gently budding romances. The tween and teen couples dance, briefly hug, and kiss on the cheek. An obnoxious boy tries to kiss a girl; she forcefully says, "No." In one comic sequence, it is implied that a character's cartoon paint has disappeared and his backside is showing, but it's never visible.

Violence

A few cartoonish pratfalls -- Fat Albert careens down the street on a skateboard and crashes; he falls from a window ledge onto a pile of trash bags.

Language

Some name-calling (i.e., "fatty," "fatso"), one "crap." "Mush Mouth," a character with an usual way of speaking, is teased.

Social Behavior

The messages are loud and clear in both dialogue and action. It's not how you look, it's the person inside who matters. Believe in yourself; be the best that you can be. Don't try to become something you're not; you could lose the essence of who you really are. And finally: You can't let fear keep you from caring.

Consumerism

An abundance of stores and products. Forever 21, White Diamond, Rochester Big & Tall, Sam Goody, Top Skater Sega, Peg Perego, Quicksilver, LA Gear, WDAS-FM, ECKO, USA TODAY, and more. The movie's story intersects with the Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids TV series upon which is based and includes a number of scenes from that show.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Not applicable