C+ Movie Review
Review by Robert Bell
It's difficult to understand why it is that someone would stand their significant other up at the altar, or even if it actually happens outside of Hollywood fare. It seems more logical that one would go through with the marriage for appearances, then annul it the next day, or that they would get out of it before the refund time on deposits expire. There is also an unexplained innocence in the formula rom-com, which seems to believe that an audience would care or identify with the kind of moron that would pull a stunt like that.
Run, FatBoy, Run is essentially a standard Farrelly Brothers style romantic comedy, with less crudity, and more effort placed on characters. There's nothing particularly original or noteworthy as every moment of the film adheres to a pre-existing formula. It's harmless, and may stir some laughter in some audience members, but will be forgotten by most ten minutes after leaving the theatre.
Dennis (Simon Pegg) is a nervous wreck moments before his marriage to a very pregnant Libby (Thandie Newton). When it comes time to head to the altar, he runs, literally, and is chased by the wedding guests, Libby included.
Five years later, Dennis is working as a security guard for a ladies department store, living in a basement apartment, sporting a new prosthetic belly, and endlessly regretting his past mistake. Still in love with Libby, Dennis makes efforts to rekindle the relationship every time he stops by to pick up their son, Jake (Matthew Festoon). This struggle is exacerbated by the arrival of Whit (Hank Azaria), an American Financial exec who has started dating Libby.
Feeling the competition element, Dennis vows to run a 26-mile race that Whit plans to run, thinking this will win the heart of Libby. Being somewhat out of shape, and not particularly ambitious, Dennis' friends (Dylan Moran, Harish Patel) help whip him into shape (for reasons of their own).
There is very little to distinguish this film from any other about underdogs trying to win their "gal". Our protagonist is a hopeless failure, but likable nonetheless, his intentions are honorable, and he aims to earn his prize against all odds. Fatboy is complete with training montages, conveniently timed character revelations, and an overdone final race played without parody. It's all done well enough, but bridges on corny a little too often.
David Schwimmer has actually shows some promise behind the camera. While he occasionally rushes sequences giving them an amateurish feel, he avoids visual embellishment, making the film commercially viable, and showing that he likely has a second career ahead of him helming studio pics.
The performances throughout the film are uniformly decent, yet unspectacular. Simon Pegg plays the underdog well, unafraid to embarrass himself, and humanizing a potentially annoying character. Thandie Newton is charming as always, if underused, and not particularly well developed on the page. Hank Azaria plays smug and controlling well, not surprisingly.
Run, Fatboy, Run should please those looking for a digestible, predictable, light comedy. In fact, it's possibly the perfect airplane movie. It simply offers nothing new or even necessary to the genre, or more discerning viewers.
