Bebe's Kids (1992)

Because so many children's animated films are actually only thinly disguised morality lessons and/or merchandising gimmicks, it's refreshing to find an acerbic, often tasteless cartoon feature willing to promote a little healthy skepticism instead. The basic premise, suggested by what had been a familiar routine by the late stand-up comedian Robin Harris, might resemble typical Saturday morning TV fodder: the gruff but (almost) lovable Harris (a kindred spirit to W.C. Fields) is conned into chaperoning a trio of pint-sized troublemakers to Fun World, a local amusement park. But underneath the rap soundtrack padding and heartfelt, homeopathic preaching about the virtues of self-esteem is a good deal of subversive, post-Rodney King cynicism. Fun World itself is analogous to White America in the 1990s, complete with secret police, remote surveillance, and a robot Richard Nixon (sounding not unlike Jimmy Stewart). The film was originally planned as a live-action comedy, but it probably works better as animation, where the cartoon exaggeration can be an advantage. Favorite character: little Baby Pee-Wee, with a voice "like a hundred packs of cigarettes" and a constant cloud of flies around his sagging diaper.

I live in the UK and I have the original 1993 CIC Video release! It's one of the most hard to find VHS in this country! Its even a rare timer coded preview copy with a small timer at the top of the screen! That makes it even more rare! And you know where I got it? From Doncaster Market for £1! It has all the original VHS trailers on it for other movies like "Sneakers" and "Wuthering Heights"! Plus, Its an ex-rental copy, too! And I'm never gonna sell it, either! The only way you'r gonna get it is to go on Amazon.co.UK and buy it for £22.95! Ha! I also have Cabin Boy and Indian Summer (1993) on UK VHS too! Take that! The movie was good, too.

"Bebe's Kids" demonstrates how hard it really is to make an animated feature; I don't just mean in terms of drawing, etc, but in terms of concept. The Hudlin brothers had originally planned to do a live-action movie about the comedian Robin Harris's characters of Bebe's kids, but after his death they decided to go the animated route - but from the finished result you wonder why they even bothered.Robin meets the lovely Jamika (at a funeral!) and makes a date with her and her son for the weekend, but finds the deal involves bringing along her friend's children - Bebe herself never appears - and the three kids are a lot rougher than Jamika's kid. In addition to having to go with them all to the extortionately-priced amusement park where most of the movie takes place, Robin also has to cope with his ex-wife and her friend (who's convinced that they'll get back together), and it must be said that the parts of the movie involving him are much better than when it involves the title characters.Not only are Bebe's kids (in addition to lacking any personality) much less sympathetic and much less funny than Robin, but they have to shoulder the blame for the movie self-destructing when they break into a secret underground section of the park; cue battles against robots and messages delivered with all the subtlety of a Mack truck. The movie wants to appeal to both adults and children, but never comes off as anything - you can tell the Hudlins weren't too experienced with animation, and they've stayed away from it since then. Thank heaven.

the best part was when the roller coaster flew off the tracks that was the best part--and the credits