From director Ivan Reitman (“Kindergarten Cop”) comes “Meatballs”. This comedy stars Bill Murray (“Groundhog Day”, “Lost In Translation”) and shares a great deal in common with “Animal House”, “Caddyshack” and “Stripes”. Fans of those movies will no doubt feel right at home with the humour in “Meatballs”.

In this movie, we follow the kids and staff at Camp North Star during the course of the summer. North Star is a cheap summer camp where the counsellors are just as immature as the kids. The camp prepares for battle against a rival summer camp. Camp North Star has never beaten Camp Mohawk at the annual Olympiad, will this year be any different?

Bill Murray is very funny as Tripper. Throughout the movie, he makes announcements via the speakers dotted across the camp and these announcements are often very amusing. There is also a brilliant moment when Tripper gives an interview about the summer camp because the answers he gives are absolutely ridiculous yet Murray delivers them with sincerity. Murray’s comedic performance is particularly impressive considering that this movie marked his first starring role. Some of the other characters are not as interesting and I really did not care for the young kid (Chris Makepeace) that befriends Tripper. It’s a shame that whenever Murray is not onscreen, the film seems to struggle to generate laughs.

If you have seen some of the movies I have mentioned earlier, you will have a good idea of what “Meatballs” is like. If you want a light-hearted comedy then “Meatballs” is a good choice. Fans of Bill Murray should also check this out. This movie contains one scene where Tripper tells a story about a serial killer lurking in the woods and it’s far more entertaining than all of those “Friday The 13th” movies. If you are looking for something serious then you will have to look elsewhere.