User reviews

The problem with this movie is, that next to fact that has almost no laugh-out-loud-scenes, the protagonist of the movie, the Phat Mo'nique is all but likable. Yes, she's fat, hasn't been laid in 8 months, gets comments thrown at her head (which she can reply to) but that would make you think she herself would not make the mistakes other people make by judging her by her weight. Unfortunately, Mo'nique only likes men who are extremely handsome and have gone to the gym a lot. Next to that everybody who is thin is referred to as a skinny bitch, and if that girl happens to be white and have a black boyfriend it's even more terrifying according to Mo'nique as "they are stealing their men" She's constantly judging people by the way they look.

And we have to root for this woman.

So no humor and no likable lead-character makes this movie a bad one in my opinion.

Jazmin Biltmore (Mo'Nique) is an overweight, sassy woman who dreams to be a fashion designer. Her life is miserable because "no one loves fat people". But than she wins a trip to Miamie. She brings her uptight best friend (Kendra C. Johnson) and her perfect, skinny cousin (Joyful Drake). While there, she meets a perfect man (Jimmy Jean-Louis) from Nigeria, where the bigger the woman, the more they love her.

My oh my! This was VERY hypocritical! First off, she complains that guys only want perfect girls, and than she has pictures of almost-nude perfect men on her walls and dreams of hunky, almost nude men in her dreams! Secondly, she complains that people make fun of her and are rude to her just because she's fat, but than her and all the Nigerians make fun of her cousin just because she's skinny.

It looks like it was filmed on someone's home portable camera. Most of the actors cannot act for their life. BUT- it is not ALL horrible! There are some funny scenes! There are some (surprisingly) touching scenes! I am no way a fan of this, but I think that many, many other horrible films deserve the honor of worst film ever, not this.

I had been dying to see Phat Girlz when it came out on DVD, but when I saw the incredible low rating on IMDb, I was just afraid of being disappointed and feeling like I wasted my time and money. But one of my friends had the movie and we watched it today and I have to say to the IMDb users, how was this movie bottom 100 bad? No, this had no Oscar worthy material and some of it was a bit silly, but I think that this film had a positive message. One of the most disturbing things I have seen on the IMDb reviews and boards are how this movie "promotes" obesity, when I don't see that at all, this film was just about accepting yourself and feeling good and confident in a world where being a "phat" girl is so unacceptable and makes them feel like the minority. Monique had a positive energy, at times I admit she could be over the top and annoying, but I didn't find her character to be horrible, but actually more believable.

Jazmin is a big girl in a small girl's world where she can't find any hot clothing for her size and wishes to help other big girls feel beautiful and sexy. But she is ignored and criticized for her outgoing personality and her plump figure. She wins a trip to the Carrabean Islands with her thin cousin and her other plump friend. There she meets and incredibly handsome doctor who loves her figure and finds big women to be very attractive and helps her realize that maybe with a little confidence she could be on top of the world and smile with her killer fashion designs.

I lost a lot of weight, I used to be a "phat" girl, so I think that's why I enjoyed the film somewhat, because I could relate. Besides that, this was just an average comedy that people are taking way too seriously. I think if you let go and just have some fun, you'll like the film, just ignore the ignorant people who are just hating this film because there are big women in it, it's just a cute romantic comedy with a positive message.

5/10

I have been reading all your comments, and I think some of the comments are a bit overboard in the dislikes!! Come on lets not take this too seriously or take things to heart, this movie might not be in the Oscar stakes, and Monique may in time become a good actress - but it is nice to see a film which has a lovely happy ever after.

I think it is nice to see a movie which has the fat girl being chased by a hunk who loves big sized women, because in this world on size 0, its like fat girls don't exist unless they are fancied by fat men.

Yes, the movie is not taxing on the brain and it certainly is easy on the thinking brain after a reality bitten hard days at work.

I enjoyed the film immensely and i am just treating as one entertaining forgettable film. Just like the movie for what it is - an easy on the brain feel good movie.

I know I am vastly in the minority on this decree, but I found this movie to be hilarious. I admit it was very poorly done and the film itself was unprofessional, and definitely nowhere near a masterpiece, but hey, it's just good fun and not meant to wow the audience. I laughed my tail off at some of the jokes, because it is a really funny movie, and even though it could have been a lot better, it was enjoyable, entertaining and overall a very cute and fun movie to watch. Mo'Nique is really a joy and steals the show, whereas everyone else just tags along for the ride. The plot was warming, even if it had plot holes, and I was entertained thoroughly from beginning to end.

It's getting way too much unfair treatment, as do a lot of movies on IMDb, and people just really need to open their eyes to all of them on here, because the ratings and comments on many, including this one, are ridiculous. Overall, it was a bad movie, but not in the sense of, "Oh my gosh, this is absolutely terrible." I totally enjoyed it and found it to be a really neat little movie in the end, and think that all the haters should rethink just a bit, because Mo'Nique is proving that BIG is beautiful.

A fair warning to all the movie fans out there, this movie was absolutely HORENDOUS! I wanted my two hours back! I had seen some of Monique's stand up before and I thought to myself "Hey...she was sort of funny before, and I've got some time to kill...why not?" Long story short...BIG MISTAKE! The plot was awful, the characters were not funny, and lets just say I've seen better acting watching old tapes of my elementary school plays. Now, on the slight upside, there were some funny parts, but for the other 99% of the movie, I was deciding weather to cry for Monique for making this movie or for me because I could have taken my 10 dollars and done something much more entertaining. A word to the wise...under any circumstances ...do NOT see this movie!....beware of Phat Girlz!

Who lets these "ideas" (and I use the term loosely) get past the execs? I've got a couple of famous bridges I'd like to sell the studio who released this. $1 million each, and guess what? Yep, they're already built... The "skinny bitches" joke she uses is so old. And really, there is nothing healthy about being overweight. Many Americans can't even fit into an MRI machine these days. That is sad and embarrassing. Not everyone thinks fat is unattractive, but there's a big difference between a "few extra pounds" (Few: adj.- Amounting to or consisting of a small number) and being way overweight. I have seen plenty of human examples that prove a person can lose the weight if they want to, most people just don't really want to put in the exercise or eat the right foods. I also found it amusing that there were no fat guys in this movie, just really ripped doctors. Only thing that made me laugh. So I guess fat guys are nasty but "phat girlz" are hot and should have the hottest men? Most people go for mates who, physically, have similar attributes in terms of weight and physical appearance. So I doubt these dudes would be all about the "phat."

Phat Girls was fricken funny. It was full of good jokes and Mo'Nique is a charming comedic lead. A romantic comedy is not supposed to be Shakespeare. It's supposed to be cute and light and usually formulaic, which this movie was. Given that, the story took on a social issue and made it entertaining, humorous and totally watchable. If you can't crack a smile or allow yourself at least one belly laugh while viewing this movie, then you're probably the problem, not Mo'Nique.

This is truly a fugly movie for any people. I'm guessing the director himself is "phat"

This is the actual movie which with make at least 5 people walk out of the movie theater, ending up killing someone on their way out. And I was one of those people except I didn't kill anyone.

hmmm... if 1 = awful, then I give 1/10 which can be a new rating measure described to be "phat" If this movie comes out on Blockbuster, sue them. I can't imagine anyone seeing this movie more than once unless they were paid large amount of money to do so. I still wouldn't waste my time watching this even if it's preview.

As a monique fan, i was very disappointed with this movie. Whenever I saw her in movies or t.v. shows i always thought she was absolutely hilarious. Naturally when this movie came out I was excited to see it thinking it would be a nice comedy. What i saw this movie i was not only disappointed but a little offended. To me, it seemed as if the movie was racist, for lack of a better word. Every white girl that i saw in the movie or had any part in saying anything, was a complete b***. There was also one part i distinctly remember when moniques character, jazmin, complained that one of "her men" was dating a white girl. "If I see one more white girl with one of our men, I'm going to shoot someone." I'm sure other people were offended by this comment too. Considering that I am a white girl thats dating one of "her men" Id like to speak on behalf of me and other girls that comments like that are rude and just not okay. people are people, and in the future i hope that i wont have the displeasure of wasting two hours of my life on a movie like this.

I admit it. I'm guilty of wanting to look at women who are slim and trim. Some people complain that the women I like looking at have eating disorders or are unhealthy, but I just don't see it. And there are plenty of these women in this movie. One is the young hot babe who accompanies our plump heroines to the expensive spa treatments.

But Jazmin and her best friend are right. A woman can be large and attractive, and apparently, if this movie is to be believed, Nigerian men have the right attitude. Women who look like models are malnourished. It's unfortunate that this movie relies heavily on subtitles because things can happen, and did, I almost missed one of the funniest jokes in the movie but got a second opportunity to see it later. The joke was that the hot babe with the Nigerian doctor was a poor sick girl.

Jazmin, of course, does a number of things people shouldn't actually do, but it's a fantasy. If you assault someone who insults you and wreck a fast-food place, you should go to jail. This is a fantasy people might enjoy watching because they'd like to do what Jazmin did.

Mo'Nique gives a very good performance, one that suggests she might someday get an Oscar nomination. While she does a good job overall, she has one truly frightening scene as she struggles with her difficulties in life. Jimmy Jean-Louis does an excellent job as her boyfriend, and all the actors playing African men do a very good job as well. The humor is quite sophisticated in their scenes, and there are glimpses of African culture for those of us with European heritage.

Some of the movie is just plain silly, though. But overall, I think this would have been a good choice if African Heritage Network movies were still airing. I haven't seen any of those lately on my area TV stations, but they promoted positive images of people with African roots. In many ways, this movie does.

I am confused about a couple of things. I thought among black people, big women were desirable. I thought it was just white and Asian women (and possibly Latinas) in this country who had to meet certain standards of beauty to be accepted by narrow-minded men. That's just not the case with the Americans in this movie. Also, Jazmin seems to be the pot calling the kettle black as her men have to have perfect bodies.

And not once does anyone say Jazmin is beautiful BUT. A woman that big is likely to have health problems, and she should try to lose the weight if she can for that reason. That message was not addressed.

It's a worthwhile movie.

it isn't exactly the top movie of 2006 but i liked it.acting isn't very great but hay the whole idea of the movie was kinda good...but if they were going to make a movie about Nigerian guys liking "thick Madames i should say, then they should well research it. speaking as a Nigerian" home grown, our old fashioned guys i.e 45 and over like their women thick, but the younger ones aw yes like them not bony but slender with an ass of course! plus those guys that were acting as Nigerian guys are not even proper Nigerians they are not home grown. next time they should try to get proper Nigerian actors for that part... well besides all this flaws the movie was a laugh!!!

As of this review Mo' Nique has already trashed her career, by being an arrogant, angry egomaniac, but I digress. This movie was her first starring vehicle, but she never stopped playing THIS character!! As a black woman myself, I can truly say we are not ALL angry, sassy and FAT! I can fully understand why a movie, like this one, would make people think so. If you don't agree with this review, then I challenge you to name ONE movie where Mo'Nique played an intelligent,educated character, ahah, see what I mean.

Before I get to a review of this movie, I have a few words to say about some of the other reviews as well as some discussions on the message boards about this movie. It seems that in MANY cases, people aren't actually discussing the merits of this film but are more making value judgments about being fat--a major plot element in the movie. So, some supposed reviews talk about how the main character needs to lose weight or that she's unhealthy but this really isn't a review of the film--it's a statement about what they think of fat folks. Oddly, a few of the comments went further and were quite hateful--as if hating fat people was somehow okay. With a few, I almost wonder if they'll soon suggest that fat folks just be killed! Are they trying to say that this is one last acceptable prejudice? As for the film itself, I cannot understand it being placed in the hallowed Bottom 100 on IMDb other than prejudice against the overweight. Sure, the film is far from perfect and I do have some problems with the writing here and there, but there is no way this is a horrible film--something inclusion in the Bottom 100 would indicate.

Mo'Nique stars as a woman who is both ashamed of her obesity and who is also, oddly enough, very self-assured in other ways. In other words, she is strong and more than willing to stand up to people who are cruel towards fat people but she herself privately beats herself up mercilessly about being so overweight.

Obesity and body image is a great idea for a film--mostly because it's rarely addressed. I loved this aspect of the film and the film had so much positive to say. BUT the film also occasionally lets itself down now and again with cheap fat jokes or anti-skinny woman remarks or the buffet scene. Can't the film be self-assured without actually occasionally reinforcing these old stereotypes at the same time?! Yet, at other times, the film is very positive and reaffirming--such as Mo'Nique's coming up with a line of clothes to make overweight women look good as well as the wonderful relationship she has with her Nigerian love. It's an odd, odd dichotomy how the film seems so very progressive yet not throughout the film.

Subtle this movie is NOT--and if it were perhaps edited a bit, it would have been an exceptional film. With just a few tweaks, it could have been amazing--but as it is, the negatives aren't that bad and the film has been unfairly savaged. I'd give the film a 6--almost a 7. With a good editing and better writing, perhaps an 8.

If you see the film, judge the film--the writing, the acting and the technical aspects of the film.

If you recall How Stella Got Her Groove Back, this film will ring like deja vu to you. Even the heart throb's accent is similar. This time instead of the obstacle to over come being age and ageism, it is weight and society's bias against heavy women. Laughs are spattered through out, but there are plenty of messages bout inner beauty. Think of the film as How Stella Got Her Groov Fat. I seem to have seen the leading actor in k mart store style clothing adds so i think that he is a model. His buddy who goes for the supporting actress looks familiar as having played clean cut guys without the accent in past films. Sloppy as it wants to be, the movie is not bad if you go in knowing roughly what to expect. I anticipate some becoming annoyed with the lead actresses soap box and presumed indictment of skinny people. Many will overlook this flaw as a point in which the movie was making...she was flawed and needed entire film in which to get somewhat better.