Although you can see the finish line from the starting shot, Pegg elevates the movie from eye-rolling to forgivably genial with his ace delivery and genuinely entertaining pratfalls.
Comment
03/28/08
Run, Fat Boy, Run (2008)
48
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:143
Fresh:69
Rotten:74
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: Run, Fat Boy, Run features sporadic laughs, but is ultimately too formulaic and predictable.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Mar 6, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $5,926,110
Synopsis: DENNIS (Simon Pegg) is an ordinary guy. He's a little overweight and he smokes, but he's nice, charming and unassuming. However, five years ago, Dennis did something that wasn't so nice. On his... [More]
Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Dylan Moran, Hank Azaria
Director: David Schwimmer
Reviews for Run, Fat Boy, Run
41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
It ambles along pleasantly, produces a few chuckles, and is forgotten by the time you pass the popcorn counter on the way out of the theater.
03/28/08
I wish the script credited to Michael Ian Black (The Pleasure of Your Company) and (Simon) Pegg had a little more intrigue along the way to its predictable finish.
03/28/08
A hackneyed slacker scenario reduces this film from an entertainment marathon to a plot treading water. The feel-good message comes around, but there is too much packaging for the product.
03/28/08
[The movie] may not [provide] an onslaught of gut-busting laughs, but the humor that does come forth is heartier and more authentic.
03/28/08
For his debut directing role, Schwimmers steers a safe "PG-13" date movie that roots for the underdog and has a good overall message.
03/28/08
It would have been funnier if, instead of Pegg, his frequent collaborator, Nick Frost had taken the role. Then we would have a film worthy of its name. And maybe even a few more genuine guffaws.
03/28/08
One thing Schwimmer does do right is keep the story moving swiftly. You're in, you're out, no harm done -- unless you want that hour and a half back.
03/28/08
Top CriticAmiable, consistently amusing and surprisingly affecting, it has the flavor of a Nick Hornby novel, with its focus on an overgrown boy struggling to grow up and be a man.
03/28/08
Top CriticRun, Fat Boy, Run is the directorial debut of actor David Schwimmer, who is much better behind the camera than in front of it. Here, he's taken material best suited to sketch comedy and turned it into a feature of no small heart and humour.
03/28/08
Run Fatboy Run is largely content to follow the formula, guide us on a sunny tour of downtown London's tourist hot spots and transform Pegg from paunchy schlub to Runderella with a few decent laughs along the way.
03/28/08
Tere's nothing edgy or new about Run, Fat Boy, Run.
03/28/08
This is a romantic comedy light on romance but heavy on comedy, and it's well cast to skew in that direction.
03/28/08
The sort of flat-footed studio film that takes the basic ingredients of an underground hit, drains them of personality and style, and spits them out as a situation comedy.
03/28/08
The humor tends toward the mildly crass -- bare buttocks and inappropriate scratching are Schwimmer's go-to comedy staples -- and the story is ridiculous.
03/28/08
Enough already. I mean, I don't have anything against comedies about dopey guys who win the love of a good woman by competing in ridiculous Olympian contests. But if I wanted to see a really funny one, I'd rent a Rocky movie.
03/28/08
The kind of movie that's apt to be dismissed a goofy lark. It is that. But it's also a rare comedy that believes in its own message, and that could inspire the depressed and the demoralized to grit their teeth and keep running.
03/28/08
Top CriticThanks to a jaunty Brit-rock score and likable characters all around, the movie's easy to watch and occasionally pumps up the emotions.
03/28/08
There's much too much of everything in Run, Fatboy, Run. Every ounce of comedy is so forced and full-on ridiculous that when characters express even a smidgen of sentiment, it feels like a parody.
03/28/08
The film is better than expected. It's directed with warmth, humor and intelligence.
03/28/08
Latest News for Run, Fat Boy, Run
September 24, 2008:
The film, like its flabby aspiring marathon runner protagonist, feels shapeless and exhausted from the sheer effort of trying to please audiences. 
More...
August 15, 2008:
CinWorld: The film, like its flabby aspiring marathon runner protagonist, feels shapeless and exhausted from the sheer effort of trying to please audiences.
More...
March 30, 2008:
New Feature Alert! The RT Review Revue, A Weekly Video Round-up
Live from the RT offices...it's the RT Review Revue! Check out the latest word on this week's new releases in the first installment of our new editorial video column. More...
March 27, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Four New Players Join The Game
Four new releases take a gamble debuting in theaters across North America hoping to hit the jackpot with audiences. The blackjack drama 21 and the spoof comedy Superhero Movie... More...
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