It's as if [director David] Schwimmer managed to shoot himself in his foot with the starter's pistol.
Run, Fat Boy, Run (2008)
Tomatometer
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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... 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
Reviews for Run, Fat Boy, Run
Simon Pegg's considerable skills can only do so much to enliven the mediocre text of actor David Schwimmer's feature directing debut, a mildy humorous trifle with some heart but not enough hilarity.
Run, Fat Boy, Run shows that Simon Pegg can't rescue a derivative dud.
Run, Fatboy, Run is the type of romantic comedy apt to be described as "nice" or "sweet," both of which are codewords for "unexceptional" and "useless."
It's not hysterically funny, but this British comedy is sharp enough to keep us chuckling right to the predictably sappy conclusion.
It is an immensely likable, big-hearted romantic comedy that has a wide-ranging appeal as unpretentious feel-good escapism and a perfect date movie choice.
...despite lacking marquee stars could do well with the date-night mainstream.
There are no surprises here -- just broad, frequently slapstick gags that don't avoid but do tamp down a bit on the bodily-function school of yokkery.
...excessive product-placement has turned the film into one enormous ad for Nike, with all the chilling humourlessness that this implies.
Pegg exudes his usual air of faint self-congratulation playing an unlikeable prat whom nobody in their right mind would prefer to the high- flying Azariah or indeed to anyone.
An enjoyable if patchy and predictable ride, but Simon Pegg shows he's more than capable of going the distance.
You’ll laugh a bit, but not much, while your interest in the storyline will hover between mild interest and vague indifference. Needless to say, all memories of this movie will evaporate on contact with daylight.
Schwimmer often resists an easy laugh in favour of a poignant moment and thereby heightens the sense of urgency during Dennis' last dash for glory.
Pegg proves agreeable company in a lightweight Britcom whose biggest laughs emanate from its supporting cast.
When Schwimmer managed to get Pegg on board, his good fortune became ours.
Friends star David Schwimmer proves that nothing wins over a crowd like a barking underdog and bags of below-the-belt humour - his directing debut is a wheeze.
What should be dreadfully synthetic actually plays as a pleasant time-passer, thanks to a goodly supply of one-liners, and Pegg and Newton’s facility for investing a string of hokey plot devices with genuine warmth. Formulaic, yet disarmingly enjoyable.
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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