Where to watch Bebe’s Kids
2 Stars
Robin Harris recounting his disastrous first date with the beautiful girl named Jamika. Tagging along for the date are Jamika’s mild-mannered son Leon and Jamika’s friend Bebe’s three rude, crude, and obnoxious kids to a theme park called Fun World. Chaos ensues when Bebe’s kids enter the theme park with adventures including being chased by a group of government agents, destroying the Titanic, and being on trial. Also causing trouble when a first date turns sour due to interference by Harris’ alimony-demanding ex-wife Dorthea and her best friend Vivian.
Bebe’s Kids sprang from the stand-up comedy routine of the late comedian Robin Harris. During Harris’ short career, he appeared, most notably, in the House Party movies directed by Reginald Hudlin. The filmmaker saw fertile ground to mine in Harris’ material, and the offspring is Bebe’s Kids, an offbeat, satirical, and socially conscious animated comedy for older family members.
This movie has a PG-13 rating given by the MPAA, which begs the question, Who was this made for? It’s too juvenile for adults and inappropriate for young children. Not surprisingly, Bebe’s Kids was a box-office flop that gained cult status when it reached the shelves of video stores nationwide. Today, the film is a curiosity; the animation is vibrant, the writing is sharp, and the voice acting is spot-on, but even at 72 minutes, the story is stretched beyond the point of interest.
Directed by: Bruce W. Smith
Written by: Reginald Hudlin, Robin Harris
Starring: Faizon Love, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Robin Harris