Run, Fat Boy, Run (D+ or 1.5/4 stars)
5 yrs. after leaving his pregnant fiancee on their wedding day, out-of-shape loser, Dennis (Simon Pegg) haphazardly decides that running a marathon could earn him some respect and win her back. This is the basic plot in 'Run, Fat boy, Run', a so-called comedy directed by David Schwimmer (of Friends). I hate to say it, but Schwimmer's 1st directorial job is a disaster. The story is weird (to a fault). The comedy is forced. And the characters are neither endearing nor realistic.
Dennis is a loser, through & through. After leaving Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar 5 yrs. ago (we see in flashback), Dennis has done nothing to redeem himself. He's cowardly, unintelligent, & lazy. He even struggles to keep up visitation with his adorable 5 yr. old boy, Jake. When he discovers that Libby is in a serious relationship with an overachieving American named Whit (grossly miscast Hank Azaria), something clicks inside of Dennis. He's now realized that he loves Libby, and vows to actually finish 'something' in his life, for once. Whit is a runner, competing in London's Nike Marathon. And so, Dennis is inclined to enter the race, as well. His 'training' is aided by pals Gordon & Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (a welcomed, if ridiculous duo of Dylan Moran & Haris Patel).
You know how the movie will end 20 min. after it starts. And every character in this film is a 1 or 2 dimensional stereotype. There's the loser, the winner, the girl they're pining over. There's the annoying best friend who can't get a handle on his gambling. There's an Indian, accent-wielding landlord, etc, etc. But there are more important reasons why this film stinks. 1) Run, Fat boy, Run??? Simon Pegg is not fat, at all. 2) Dennis is a chain-smoking, alcohol swigging, slobby underachiever and Whit (at first) seems like a well put-together, amiable fellow who genuinely loves Libby and is good for her. There's NO reason to get behind the protagonist in this story til the very END of the movie! 3) This movie has no consistent tone! i.e., it shifts from straight humor, to sentimentality, to crassness, back to straight, to cornball, to exhibiting some indie flare, to going mainstream, shows some poignancy, then turns scary, then back to screwball/gags. Awful.
Sure, a couple of moments made me smile. There's even an attempt to inspire people: when you get down/depressed, keep on running, you'll make it to the finish line. And I LIKE Simon Pegg (from Shaun of the Dead). But his portrayal here bugs, more than anything else. Dennis is a poor underdog. You just can't root for that. 'Run, Fat boy, Run' is eventually able to avoid an F rating (something I was seriously considering 30 min. into the movie). But overall, the humor is sporadic, stale, & insipid. The story is predictable & uninteresting. I'm actually surprised that this didn't go straight-to-DVD; it's that bad. It's never good when every 2 minutes you are thinking, "God, this is so awful".
Dennis is a loser, through & through. After leaving Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar 5 yrs. ago (we see in flashback), Dennis has done nothing to redeem himself. He's cowardly, unintelligent, & lazy. He even struggles to keep up visitation with his adorable 5 yr. old boy, Jake. When he discovers that Libby is in a serious relationship with an overachieving American named Whit (grossly miscast Hank Azaria), something clicks inside of Dennis. He's now realized that he loves Libby, and vows to actually finish 'something' in his life, for once. Whit is a runner, competing in London's Nike Marathon. And so, Dennis is inclined to enter the race, as well. His 'training' is aided by pals Gordon & Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (a welcomed, if ridiculous duo of Dylan Moran & Haris Patel).
You know how the movie will end 20 min. after it starts. And every character in this film is a 1 or 2 dimensional stereotype. There's the loser, the winner, the girl they're pining over. There's the annoying best friend who can't get a handle on his gambling. There's an Indian, accent-wielding landlord, etc, etc. But there are more important reasons why this film stinks. 1) Run, Fat boy, Run??? Simon Pegg is not fat, at all. 2) Dennis is a chain-smoking, alcohol swigging, slobby underachiever and Whit (at first) seems like a well put-together, amiable fellow who genuinely loves Libby and is good for her. There's NO reason to get behind the protagonist in this story til the very END of the movie! 3) This movie has no consistent tone! i.e., it shifts from straight humor, to sentimentality, to crassness, back to straight, to cornball, to exhibiting some indie flare, to going mainstream, shows some poignancy, then turns scary, then back to screwball/gags. Awful.
Sure, a couple of moments made me smile. There's even an attempt to inspire people: when you get down/depressed, keep on running, you'll make it to the finish line. And I LIKE Simon Pegg (from Shaun of the Dead). But his portrayal here bugs, more than anything else. Dennis is a poor underdog. You just can't root for that. 'Run, Fat boy, Run' is eventually able to avoid an F rating (something I was seriously considering 30 min. into the movie). But overall, the humor is sporadic, stale, & insipid. The story is predictable & uninteresting. I'm actually surprised that this didn't go straight-to-DVD; it's that bad. It's never good when every 2 minutes you are thinking, "God, this is so awful".