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Fat Buddies

Name: Fat Buddies
Director: Bao Bei'er
Released: 2018
Duration: 109 min

Representation Score

6.3/10

Good

2018

Director

Bao Bei'er

Runtime

109 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Fat Buddies offers a refreshing departure from the invincible action hero archetype. By centering the plot on characters defined by physical and neurological vulnerabilities, the film provides a unique layer of representation within a comedic framework. While the film disrupts traditional male clichés and centers non-traditional body types, it remains limited by its narrow focus. The lack of LGBTQ+ representation and the reliance on a male-centric buddy-cop structure prevent a more inclusive approach. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its portrayal of disability and physical struggle, integrating the protagonist's medical realities into his functional identity and the core narrative.

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Category Breakdown

Does Fat Buddies have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include any visible LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The narrative centers on a friendship between two male leads without addressing non-straight relationships.

How does Fat Buddies portray gender?

Fair

The story challenges traditional masculine hierarchies by presenting bumbling, vulnerable protagonists instead of stoic, hyper-competent heroes. However, the male-centric buddy-cop dynamic limits broader gender subversion.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Fat Buddies?

Fair

A predominantly East Asian cast shifts the narrative center away from Western-centric casting norms. The film avoids whitewashing and provides a non-Anglo-Saxon perspective on action-comedy clichés.

How does Fat Buddies represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film explores professional failure and physical decline through a comedic lens. While it includes international elements like a mission to Japan, it adheres to standard genre conventions.

Does Fat Buddies include disability representation?

Good

The protagonist navigates intracranial damage, significant weight gain, and severe narcolepsy. These neurological and physical limitations drive the plot, giving real power to a character with unconventional physicalities.

Present on Screen

Subverts the hyper-competent action hero archetype through vulnerable, bumbling protagonists.
Provides ability to act to characters with neurological and physical limitations like narcolepsy.
Features a predominantly East Asian cast that avoids Western-centric casting norms.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.
The male-centric buddy-cop dynamic limits the subversion of gendered power structures.
Does not engage deeply with multi-layered identity politics.

Official Synopsis

The film revolves around a pair of big-boned, bumbling cops who find themselves at the heart of a drug trafficking case. The agent "J" (Zhang Wen) was shot in the head during an A-level mission, causing damage to the intracranial hypothalamus. During the period of rehabilitating, J gradually became a big fat man of three hundred pounds and suffered from severe narcolepsy, but J still considered himself a ace agent. Finally, J received the task again and went to Japan to retrieve the confidential documents. After the file was obtained, J arbitrarily opened the file and decided to continue the task of hiding the organization for the organization, but he fainted in the izakaya. J who woke up in the hospital got to know the security guard Handsome Hao (Bei-Er Bao), Handsome Hao to prove that he is not a waste of nothing to resolutely join the mission. In the process of carrying out the task, the temporary partner has experienced the ridiculous and dangerous crisis of time over and over ...

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