There’s something vaguely sitcom-like in the humour of Run, Fatboy, Run
– as if it was lifted from an episode of, say, Friends. You can see the
jokes coming a mile away in the feature directorial debut from David
Schwimmer, best known for his role on the ‘90s sitcom, and few are all
that funny.
I have to say this is the first Simon Pegg movie I can say I found boring – he was brilliant in Shaun of the Dead and to a lesser extent Hot Fuzz. Come to think of it, even his small but memorable role in Mission Impossible III evoked more laughs than Run, Fatboy, Run does.
Here, Pegg plays Dennis, a store security guard in London who made the foolish and heartless decision to leave his pregnant fiancé Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar in a sweaty fit of panic. It’s five years later and Dennis maintains a civil relationship with Libby for the good of their son, Jake (Matthew Fenton).
When he finds out Libby is involved with a new man, the successful and stable Whit (Hank Azaria), Dennis realizes what he stands to lose and attempts to win his ex back. When she accuses him of never finishing anything he starts, he vows to run the Nike River Run marathon through London – not coincidentally a race seasoned marathoner Whit is also participating in.
With a little help from his friends, including Gordon (Dylan Moran) and Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel), Dennis tries to get his less than fit bod in shape in time for race day. *Cue Rocky theme and comedic workout montage. (And yes, there is a raw egg yolk drinking scene.)
Simon Pegg in a scene from Run, Fatboy, Run
It’s not as though there’s nothing to like about Schwimmer’s first major outing behind the camera. Moran steals the show as Dennis's unreliable best friend Gordon, delivering his lines with brilliant deadpan. Azaria and Newton are decent enough in their roles.
The problem mainly lies in the fact that it’s hard to cheer for Dennis when in the first five minutes of the film you find yourself loathing him for what he did to his apparent true love. He’s not exactly a loveable lunk, and though he tries to redeem himself, does one act of fortitude make up for such a profound and personal error in judgement?
Faced with formidable comedic competition from the likes of Judd Apatow and Wes Anderson, Fatboy comes off as a stale, cliché-ridden exercise – a renter at best.
Posted by Cate Jones
Agree? Disagree? Email Cate at criticizecate@gmail.com
Run, Fatboy, Run ** out of 5
Rated: PG-13/14A
Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria
Directed by: David Schwimmer
Written by: Michael Ian Black, Simon Pegg
Related links: Official site, IMDB page, Apple trailer
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