User Reviews

I am not an Australian and I have never heard about the Fatty Finn comic strip. So, I had absolutely no idea what to expect when this film began. However, by the time it was over, both my daughter and I agreed that it was a lot of fun.

In many ways, the movie is a lot like Hal Roach's "Li'l Rascals" series. This isn't surprising, as MANY studios in the States made their own knockoff of the series--so why wouldn't the Aussies also make what sure looks like a knockoff. Now this is not really a complaint, as the end result still is quite pleasing.

The film is, at first, almost like a couple shorts combined. It's only a bit later in the film when the race occurs--from which the title derives. This big race is a weird affair--with carts pulled by goats and little kids riding at incredibly brisk speeds. But the race itself is only one of many little vignettes that make up this cute little film. Pretty good child acting and a good fast-paced script make this worth seeing.

Films of the silent era generally reflect a much simpler type of entertainment, and the sort of comic strips that run in newspapers may be the simplest form of entertainment of all. Put the two together, and the result is a picture that could be appreciated by viewers of all ages, though with young kids as chief characters, 'The kid stakes' definitely seems primed for a youthful audience. This is emphasized by the extra silly touches in the situational humor, sight gags, and physical comedy that fill the runtime, and by the purposeful misspelling of words in the hand-written notes we see. Yet at the same time that this feature feels like one that may be shown in modern grade school classrooms as an example of how movies used to look, the approach taken in realizing the Fatty Finn character in the cinematic medium helps give it an air of endurance. Lack of sound aside, where the content is concerned 'The kid stakes' seems like a family-friendly movie that could be made in 2017 as easily as in 1927. It's hardly essential viewing, and anyone who can't get on board with silent pictures won't find anything here to change their minds, but it's mildly enjoyable all the same.

There's definite narrative, but plot development is light and unbothered. To whatever extent it centers the core story, 'The kid stakes' comes across more like a collection of scenes that are weakly attached to one another by a single thread, and they could just as easily be separated - more a patchwork quilt than a woven tapestry, and some of those patches are larger than others. Characters are either bumbling adults, as expected in a title centering kids, or pre-teens who dream big and play rough. Especially given the modest plot, and the focus on humor, it's the scene writing that's most important here. The screenplay is geared toward cultivating a sense of free-wheeling juvenile shenanigans, and at every point the moments laid before us certainly come across as an almost realist portrait of young folks getting into a small measure of mischief as they look for fun. Scenes are written and orchestrated well to that end, and the cast certainly seem to be having a good time as they indulge in the frivolity.

The climax kind of runs a little long, and feels marginally self-indulgent. Save perhaps for those who grew up with a fondness for the comic strip, there's nothing about this interpretation of Fatty Finn that's so essential as to demand viewership. It's duly enjoyable, but not really noteworthy in any particular way. Still, for those who appreciate the silent era - or possibly even kids' movies at large - there's a strong feeling of somewhat whimsical nostalgia in the amusement 'The kid stakes' offers. You don't need to go out of your way to see it, but if you happen to come across this, it's a decent enough way to fill 70 minutes.