Fat Boy Fall (2020)

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, in the dead of winter, freezing and unable to get warm? We’ve all been in that boat before! “Single Lady” (Gonmadmaaax) is struggling to get over her ex-boyfriend, but has an aversion to big guys. “Rapper,” a big man himself, expresses the many reasons why a “fat boy” (Patrick Newell) is the best type of man, especially with the cold weather on the horizon. Fat Boy Fall is the testimony of a big man vouching for those who have a similar body type and explaining that there has never been a better time to acquire a man with some curves. 

The year is 2020 and the world is falling apart. Family and friends are at each other's throats over political views and Coronavirus has destroyed the economy, killed thousands, crippled the education system and left people stranded in their homes for months. Body image, however, is being talked about maybe more than ever, and the acceptance of all types of bodies is at an all-time high. Noblemen Studios using the ever changing landscape of girth and how it’s viewed to perk viewers up in a time when that is desperately needed. 

Low-budget and a small pool of talent to choose from can be damning, making it difficult for a young, developing studio to get its feet off the ground. Patrick Newell, Elijah Carter and Sherry Busby, however, have managed to find success in the past even when the odds were stacked against them. Films like Mask On and The Sweetest Heist have scratched the surface of genius and have thoroughly entertained their viewers. Just months after the release of the successful and uber-funny Mask On, director Newell is back with the intention of keeping pace with the humor that he so brilliantly understands. However, the bar that Mask On set back in April of 2020 makes it difficult for a second parody video to live up to that hype. This is not to say that the film fails by any means, but the previous installment of the Patastic Parody series soared at such an incredible height that it makes sense that its successor (Fat Boy Fall) is unable to make the expected cut. 

Newell understands his audience and is more than capable of producing dialogue and lyrics that meet their needs, and he does, once again, find a way to appeal to his viewers. The silliness of the lyrics throughout Fat Boy Fall are, in a sense, relieving. They are simplistic, allowing viewers to kick back and relax during the short film. The complexity of the lyrics, however, is lacking a bit. The cleverness that viewers have come to expect from Noblemen Studios is not as present in the lyrics this time. Comedy is subjective, and Fat Boy Fall is subjectively funny, and that is predominantly because of Newell’s ability to physically appeal to the audience. I truly believe that this parody appeals to a particular group of people, but that niche group that Newell and the rest of the talent at Noblemen Studios has established in the past is expanding. He appeals to the ideas of loneliness and heartbreak as well as the never ending obsession that Americans have with food. More than ever, Newell is able to combine emotion with humor in a way that attracts new viewers while keeping OG fans entertained. 

Fat Boy Fall is well established, laying the groundwork for a genuine understanding of what is meant to take place throughout the “rapper’s” proclamations. The introduction, however, is almost equal in length to the song itself. While length isn’t always the most important aspect of film production, the fact that Fat Boy Fall is just slightly longer than a minute leaves a bit to be desired. More dialogue is essential if Newell plans to find more success in the future.

The addition of Gonmadmaaax as “Single Lady” is a sensational move as her expressive and kind face allows viewers to empathize with her while she cautiously expresses her emotions. Furthermore, her chemistry with Busby feels genuine. It is clear that a relationship in real life exists as their legitimate friendship translates well on screen. Newell, as always, steals the show with his equally expressive face, Fat Boy Fall body and willingness to do whatever needs to be done in order to succeed. His clear passion for the product being produced and the industry in general makes his performance even funnier, leading to a successful finished product. 

It will be incredibly difficult to find a person more passionate about film production than Newell. He possesses all of the qualities necessary to find success in the business, including tenacity, dedication and charisma. While Fat Boy Fall doesn’t necessarily live up to the hype of previous Noblemen productions, it has its moments of genius, including the general premise of the parody. It is important to view this separate from other Noblemen Studios productions as the others are, in fact, more entertaining. Again, Fat Boy Fall has moments that allow viewers to understand how brilliant Newell and his crew are. While the film fails to be the most entertaining Noblemen Studios production to date, it delivers laughs, acceptability and intelligence on levels that provide the studio the ability to keep expanding and finding success. 

Written & Directed by Patrick Newell. Starring Sherry Busby, Gonmadmaaax & Patrick Newell.

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