RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Run, Fat Boy, Run
Run, Fat Boy, Run

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Run, Fat Boy, Run (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
48 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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 Rating: M [See Full Rating] Coarse language

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Comedies

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... 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 wedding day to his pregnant fiancé LIBBY (Thandie Newton), Dennis did a runner. He just couldn't go through with it. He didn't think he was good enough for Libby, so instead of ruining her life, he ruined her big day. Now, five years later, Dennis realizes he made a big mistake. He's still in love with Libby. He still sees her all the time because of JAKE (Matthew Fenton), their five-year-old son, but all romantic ties have been severed. Libby's now seeing WHIT (Hank Azaria), a charming professional from the City, and Dennis takes an immediate dislike to him. Whit is casual, easy-going, successful and good with Jake; much to Dennis's annoyance. How can Dennis compete with him? In direct contrast to Whit's sleek lifestyle in the City, Dennis is a mere security guard for a ladies retail store. He doesn't earn much money and he's well behind on his rent, something which his landlord, MR GHOSHDASHTIDAR (Harish Patel), doesn't take lightly. Mr G's daughter MAYA (India de Beaufort) is particularly intent on evicting Dennis and replacing him with a much more reliable tenant. Compared to Whit's effortless abilities, everything Dennis attempts seems to end in disaster. Even when he wants to take Jake to see "Lord of the Rings: The Musical," he finds himself in trouble with the police for trying to buy from a ticket tout. There is no help forthcoming from Dennis' feckless best friend GORDON (Dylan Moran), whose life is just as much of a mismatch. Gordon's main sources of interest are the poker games held at the back of a piano store with a bunch of misfits: GROVER, CLAUDINE and MICKEY, overseen by the imperious VINCENT (Simon Day). Dennis feels demoralized and overwhelmed by Whit's long list of achievements. In a last-ditch effort to prove to Libby that he's changed his ways, Dennis impulsively announces at her birthday party that he will run in the same London Marathon that Whit has been training for. But does Dennis have the stuff to trade his cold feet for running shoes? RUN, FAT BOY, RUN is a romantic comedy that affirms that true love isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. --© Picturehouse [More]

Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Dylan Moran, Hank Azaria

Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Dylan Moran, Hank Azaria, Ameet Chana, Harish Patel, David Walliams, Stephen Merchant

Director: David Schwimmer

Director: David Schwimmer
Screenwriter: Michael Ian Black, Simon Pegg
Story: Michael Ian Black
Producer: Robert Jones, Sarah Curtis
Composer: Alex Wurman
Studio: Lions Gate Films

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Teaser Trailer
    >
    Trailer
    >
    "Mannequin"
    >
1 - 3 of 3

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Run, Fat Boy, Run

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

This is yet another parody that falls victim to the desire to become what it's intending to satirize.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
03/26/08
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

A thin premise undermined by rampant stupidity at every turn.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
03/26/08
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Predictable losers-are-people-too jesting raised a notch by the quality work of consummate professionals.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
03/26/08
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

Director David Schwimmer bloats this slapdash concept into dim, witless overkill.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
03/26/08
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly

Brit romcom mixes laughs with swearing, smoking.

Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | comment Comment
03/26/08
S. Jhoanna Robledo
S. Jhoanna Robledo
Common Sense Media

[Star/writer Pegg] ladles a deeper understanding of why men screw up into Dennis than we usually see in romantic comedies...

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
03/26/08
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

It has meaning and sentiment and a nice pay-off for its finale. But without more laughs, Run Fatboy Run is awfully winded by the time it crosses the finish line.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment 1 Comment
03/26/08
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

The presence of Simon Pegg and Dylan Moran elevates what might have been merely a pleasant, harmless but ultimately forgettable romantic comedy.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
03/26/08
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net

Clumsy and inept in demeanor but a whirlwind of comic energy, with an air of self-congratulatory winsomeness, Simon Pegg steals this otherwise minor but enjoyably unpretentious little comedy and pockets it like a Mars bar.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
03/26/08
Rex Reed
Rex Reed
New York Observer

Pegg has staked out a peculiar slant on genre material that ventures beyond irony toward rehabilitation -- and nobody plays blithe humiliation with more style.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
03/25/08
Jim Ridley
Jim Ridley
Village Voice

I wouldn’t believe that Run Fat Boy Run was co-written by Simon Pegg if he weren’t up there on the screen in teeny briefs and with his gut stuck out, trying to endear himself to the American audience in material maybe a notch above Rob Schneider’s.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
03/24/08
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
New York Magazine

"Run, Fat Boy, Run" is a cut-and-dried formula comedy slightly elevated by its more than competent cast.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
03/23/08
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Well enough crafted to keep you in stitches while on the edge of your seat for the duration, even if this laff-a-minute escape is more mindless than cerebral.

Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment Comment
03/23/08
Kam Williams
Kam Williams
NewsBlaze

Run, Fat Boy, Run stays out of sitcom quicksand long enough to make you think that Schwimmer has a knack for this comedy-directing thing.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
03/20/08
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

Using conventional slapstick gags and inventive crosscutting, David Schwimmer scores as a creditable, if not memorable, director...but the innocuous script is totally predictable.

Full Review Source: SSG Syndicate | comment Comment
03/17/08
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
SSG Syndicate

An unapologetic throwback to the days when comedies didn't have to be all that original -- just as long as they were funny.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
03/16/08
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
Cinematical

Credit Pegg for inserting his smart brand of character-driven humor everywhere the script needed him (he polished up an old script by Michael Ian Black), and credit Schwimmer for keeping things moving quickly and efficiently.

Full Review Source: Scene-Stealers.com | comment Comment
03/15/08
Eric Melin
Eric Melin
Scene-Stealers.com

Pacing and suspension of disbelief aside, I had fun with the heart-felt moments and the sheer comedy. Plus, it’s great to see Pegg jump out of his Edgar Wright-zone for a bit and try making a movie with a different group for a change.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
03/11/08
Zack Haddad
Zack Haddad
Film Threat

Schwimmer just doesn't have the directorial wit to elevate the intermittently amusing script, and none of the cast seems dedicated enough to raise the bar either.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/05/08
Katey Rich
Katey Rich
Film Journal International

Schwimmer and Pegg have scored a win--largely due to tasteful choices in the subplotting and providing such a rich ensemble to tickle the shenanigans to a higher level.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
01/31/08
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

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. Opens in new window
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. Opens in new window
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...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

70% 70% Where the Wild Things Are 03/12
83% 83% Paranormal Activity 03/12
89% 89% Zombieland 03/12
76% 76% The Informant! 03/12
— The Strength of Water 03/12

What’s Hot On RT

Shock! Horror?

Shock! Horror?

Lars von Trier talks Antichrist

Zombieland

Zombieland

Director Ruben Fleischer's favourites

New Avatar action

New Avatar action

Watch an exclusive chase clip from the film

Kids' Book Films

Kids' Book Films

We fly through 10 of the best

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
15
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
38
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
22
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
118
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
176
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
130
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
76
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
59
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
37
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
18
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
13
  • Total Recall: Children's Book Adaptations
3
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
13
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
9
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
20
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Run, Fat Boy, Run at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Run, Fat Boy, Run at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
Dressing Wonderland
Dressing Wonderland External Link

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Win tickets to Cold Souls
Win tickets to Cold Souls External Link

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.