Hank Azaria (in red) and Hot Fuzz’s Simon Pegg (in green) compete for the affection of Thandie Newton in director (and former Friends star) David Schwimmer’s Run Fatboy Run
Hot Fuzz star helps flick overcome clichés
Simon Pegg is best known for co-writing and starring in two of the cleverest comedies in recent memory – Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz . So it is almost impossible not to compare his latest film to these modern classics. However it’s unfair to judge Run Fatboy Run on the basis of whether it’s as good as Pegg’s previous films — it isn’t but few comedies are. Still Run Fatboy Run is a good solid comedy in its own right. Sure RFR is swamped in romantic comedy and underdog hero clichés but it has an earnest charm that makes its many cliché transgressions forgivable.
Much of this charm is thanks to Pegg’s excellent performance as yet another hapless but likable character. This time Pegg plays Dennis a slightly pudgy slacker who messes up the best thing in his life when he leaves his pregnant fiancée at the altar. Five years later Dennis is even pudgier and working a dead-end job as a security guard at a London lingerie store. He is on civil terms with his ex-fiancée Libby (Thandie Newton) for the sake of their young son but Dennis realizes what he is missing when Libby’s new boyfriend a successful smug American named Whit (Hank Azaria) threatens any chance Dennis may have to reconcile with Libby. When Whit boasts of running in an upcoming marathon along the Thames Dennis sees his chance to redeem himself.
What follows is a string of near disasters as Dennis attempts to shape up for the big race with help from his Indian landlord Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel) and gambling-addicted friend Gordon (a hilarious Dylan Moran). Newton is one of those actresses who absolutely shimmers onscreen but she isn’t given a lot to do here other than acting as the straight woman between Pegg and Azaria. Azaria plays up the ugly American with the kind of zest he always brings to his performances. He and Pegg play off each other brilliantly and their final showdown is one of the movie’s highlights.
Friends alumnus David Schwimmer directs Run Fatboy Run with little subtlety. He takes a rather ham-fisted approach to the more climactic scenes. Still the film doesn’t try to be anything but an entertaining mainstream comedy. It proves that with the right cast even a cliché-ridden underdog comedy can still be enjoyable.
