Movie Rewind: Run Fatboy Run (2007)

Director: David Schwimmer (Friends)

Cast: Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), Thandie Newton (W., The Pursuit of Happyness), Hank Azaria (The Simpsons), Dylan Moran (Shaun of the Dead), Matthew Fenton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort (Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire)

The Deal: Dennis (Pegg) left his pregnant girlfriend, Libby (Newton), on the alter. Five years later, he's lazy and out of shape working as a security guard at a clothing store. As Libby's new boyfriend Whit (Azaria) tries to get closer to Libby's son, Dennis becomes jealous. Determined to prove he's changed and deserves a second shot with Libby, he signs up for the 26-mile marathon that Whit was running.

Thoughts: This film's formula is one we've seen a hundred times before: lazy single father must shape up to steal back the girl of his dreams. The film is far better than some, but it's not quite good enough to stand out in the long run. Dennis really isn't that fat, and he deserved the terrible life he had. But that's not the point of the film. He always runs away from things, never persevering, which is why he was a runaway groom. You know before half way how the film will turn out though, and it's not as funny as you'd think it to be.

I loved Simon Pegg in Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, which is the reason I wanted to watch this. His normal whit and charm just wasn't there though. He wasn't necessarily bad, but he's been much much better in other films (including the more recent small role in Star Trek). Newton fit her role fairly well, and played it decent enough. I never seem to recognize Azaria from film to film. In The Simpsons, Night at the Museum, and this, he always looks and sounds different. He wasn't great in the film, but I enjoyed seeing him in another role that caught me off guard. Moran and Patel were meant to be somewhat of the comedic sidekicks, but their actions and humor never really landed. It was funny the way Moran's character seemed to dislike pants though.

In all reality, the first hour of the film didn't matter very much. It establishes that he's lazy and never finishes things, but just keeps going over and over it. I thought things really picked up once the marathon was beginning. It had some of the funnier and easily more memorable scenes. I liked how they had a little fantasy of Dennis trying to break through the wall that runners tend to hit. Some might find the visual too literal and unnecessary, but I thought it fit with the character well. It ends predictably, but it's still somewhat satisfying.

Verdict: Not one of Pegg's funnier films, it treads very familiar and generic waters. In the end, it proves enjoyable enough, but will most likely be forgotten. ☆☆1/2