A man tries to prove himself to the woman he left at the altar by competing in a marathon against her current fiancée.

CRITIQUE

Run Fatboy Run is a somewhat-amusing tale, an uneven comedy that drags a bit in its first half, before finally kicking in late when the marathon finally rolls around.  As a vehicle for actor Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) it definitely gives him a lot to do; fans of his might find a lot to like here, while others might just find it mildly diverting.

Pegg plays British Dennis Doyle, who isn’t all that likable early on – not only does he flee from the church rather than get married to fiancée Libby (Thandie Newton), but she is pregnant as well.  Five years later, and Dennis is an occasional dad trying to make amends, who isn’t happy when Libby gets engaged to someone else (Hank Azaria, in the unlikely role of the nominal villain).

Pegg wrote the script with Michael Ian Black, and they struggle a bit to try and make Dennis’s running this race have any real stakes, while the plot loses its way at times in the middle; Pegg also isn’t particularly fat, which they keep trying to explain away so as to salvage the title.  But there are enough laughs to keep it interesting enough, while the climax manages to be rousing.

The result isn’t all that memorable, but there are things to like here.  The oddest thing about this is that it is a British comedy directed by David Schwimmer, who does a solid-enough job making this somewhat-thin idea work as well as it does.  The result is worth a look if you are in the mood.

THE VIDEO

Run Fatboy Run is presented in both widescreen or full screen.  The picture quality was generally good, though there are no major technical demands here.

THE AUDIO

Run Fatboy Run is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround.  Dialogue, music and sound effects come through clear.  There are English and Spanish subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

There is a Commentary featuring David Schwimmer, Thandie Newton, Simon Pegg and Simon Pegg’s Mother.  The result is chatty and likable, though Pegg’s mother doesn’t say much.

There are 7 minutes of Deleted Scenes that are largely just trims from scenes in the movie.  There is an optional Commentary by Schwimmer talking about them.

There are 7 minutes of Outtakes that are a strange blend of characters messing up and funny scenes that are actually in the movie.

There’s a 3-minute segment called Goof in which Thandie Newton plays a trick on Simon Pegg involving some vodka.

There are several Trailers for the movie.

FINAL THOUGHT

Not a classic, but enough laughs to make it worth checking out.