Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria

Whilst the notion of rising comic superstar Simon Pegg ditching his usual cohort, director Edgar Wright – who helmed Pegg’s two hits, “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” – for a former star of TVs “Friends” sounds about as appealing as well, watching Batman & Robin Gibb , rather than Batman & Robin, the unlikely union actually has legs - And in “Run Fatboy Run”, so does Pegg.

Pegg plays British slacker Dennis Doyle, a man who seemingly “lost it all” when he ditched his pregnant wife (Thandie Newton) on their wedding day.
5 years later, she’s met someone else, a high-flying but egotistical American (Hank Azaria). Naturally, he’s good everything that Dennis wasn’t (but that doesn’t include raising children).
When Dennis gets wind that his replacement is a ‘marathon runner’, he decides to prove to his ex and his son that he too can compete in something as grueling and disciplined and so signs up to run the big race alongside the competition.

Simon Pegg is a lot of fun to watch. He has this likeable every-man nature about him that you’ve got to wonder whether he wouldn’t be easy to watch even if he were doing an on-stage script reading of Hudson Hawk. And coupled with the beautiful Thandie Newton (“Mission : Impossible 2”), and the insanely underrated Hank Azaria (“Along Came Polly”, Tvs “Huff”), we’re constantly surrounded here by genuine talent – all giving it their best, and all seemingly having a hoot. Pegg’s the star of the show though – no butts about it.

Despite being about as English as a pappadum, director David Schwimmer (Ross on “Friends”) seems to have a good idea of how a good British comedy works (but then, Pegg did come up with the story and co-wrote the screenplay) – this one’s got heart, lots of laughs, and predominantly, slabs of Brit humour. Though his film isn’t half as funny as any of Wright’s, it’s still a lot better than expected. It does hit a “Wall” – to borrow a term from the film; referring to a moment where a runner hits an imaginary wall, feeling he can’t run any further- in a couple of spots, but overall, “Run Fatboy Run” is genuinely entertaining – and for once, something that the whole family can enjoy.

Rating :
Reviewer : Clint Morris