Run Fatboy Run

Run Fatboy Run
Dir: David Schwimmer
Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran

Sitting down to watch a British comedy can be a little like playing the lottery. There's always the big risk of losing, but sometimes you get lucky and hit the jackpot. Sometimes you get last years deplorable Confetti, but other times you're lucky and end up with Hot Fuzz. Given Simon Pegg's track record then, you'd be forgiven for expecting Run Fatboy Run to be a comedy gem, but don't expect to be rolling in the cinema aisles. It's a solid enough effort for David Schwimmer's directorial debut, but considering the script was re-written by Pegg it's a shame to see such awkward sounding dialogue, especially in the films first act.

The story is simple enough, Dennis (Pegg) is a lovable loser who leaves his pregnant wife Libby (Newton) at the altar, then five years later decides he wants her back. Libby has a new boyfriend though, Whit (Azaria) who happens to have a fondness for running marathons, so Dennis enlists the help of his slightly odd friend Gordon (Moran) to get him into shape in the hope of running a marathon himself and winning Libby back.

Unfortunately the bulk of the films humour is contained to a few swear-words and slapstick pratfalls, the zippy dialogue we've come to expect from Pegg is conspicuous by its absence. Hank Azaria is fine in his role as the pompous American banker, but the real scene stealer is Dylan Moran, who effortlessly glides through his scenes like he's skating on an oil slick. Despite the films flaws and lack of truly rib-tickling set-pieces it jogs along at a pleasant enough pace and there's enough to keep the casual viewer entertained, but Pegg fans might find it a dissappointment. And as far as the lottery of British comedies go, well sometimes you're happy enough just to break even.

3 out of 5.