Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1914 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-02-18
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Simon Pegg is clearly, right now, someone who can do little wrong at the box office. Run Fatboy Run follows hot on the heels of Hot Fuzz, and again finds its star delivering a quality comedy turn, in a film that boasts a good few laughs too.

Directed by Friends star David Schwimmer, Run Fatboy Run casts Pegg as a security guard fed up of being outrun by the people he’s supposed to catch. He’s also determined to try and prove to his ex-fiancee (Thandie Newton) that he’s a changed man, and thus decides to take on the London Marathon, where he’ll be up against the new man in her life (Hank Azaria).

Pegg is on good form in Run Fatboy Run, and genuinely delivers a character you want to root for. Yet it’s the supporting players who walk off with the plaudits too. Dylan Moran in particular is in great form, as is Harish Patel, while the likes of Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria and David Walliams also turn in good work.

Cleverly knowing not to outstay its welcome, and only occasionally stuttering under the weight of some laboured work behind the camera from Schwimmer, Run Fatboy Run is an easy, quite funny and light on the brain comedy, that helps cement Pegg’s growing status as a quality leading actor. Worth checking out. --Jon Foster

Synopsis
A listless-yet-lovable loser (SHAUN OF THE DEAD's Simon Pegg) thinks he's found the way out of his rut and into the heart of his ex-fiancee: running a marathon. David Schwimmer (FRIENDS) directs this comedy with a script from Pegg and THE STATE's Michael Ian Black.

Customer Reviews

Actors rise above the material
Run Fatboy Run is a funny movie, but it's predictable. It's a low brow romantic comedy that has two of the funniest comics working in showbiz today. While Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz are riddled with intuitive humor and cultural gags, Run Fatboy Run hits the low road with slapstick humor. That's not a bad thing - not always anyway.

Simon Pegg plays a man who we see leave his bride to be at the altar - pregnant. Years later, the out of shape Pegg is working as a security guard, sharing visits of his son with his ex, played by Thandie Newton. Pegg finds that his ex is seeing Hank Azaria, a high achieving American who runs marathons. To prove he can rise to the challenge, Pegg tries out for the marathon.

Run Fatboy Run is a fairly formulaic comedy yarn. Most of the comedy in the film comes from interactiong between Pegg and Dylan Moran, who plays Pegg's down and out friend. Moran tries to prep Pegg for the marathon. There is often a lot of physical slapstick humor, such as the now infamous blister gag. It's not as sharp witted as were used to seeing from Pegg. The reason it often works is because of the comedic timing of the two talented comedians' delivery.

Not to be outdone is Hank Azaria, of Simpsons fame. He has fun with his role, especially as he starts to drill into Pegg's character, trying to disgrace him. He's fun to watch, especially as he gets a little physical with Pegg.

The highlight of the film maybe the marathon itself. Having endured Pegg's trials throughout the film, you can't help but root him on. This is the core of the film, even if it some of it seems predictable. I felt somewhat unfulfilled at the end, maybe because of my expectations for Pegg. Take it for what it is, though. It's fun and cute. The characters aren't nearly as interesting as they could be and the humor's on the low side, but Run Fatboy Run is definitely worth at least one watch, but don't expect the returns you get from Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead.

Stop, Fat Boy, Stop!
Is what I was mentally shouting at this DVD from about ten minutes in. I continued with that mantra to the very end. I don't know why I persevered. It doesn't improve. It completely failed to draw me into the story right from the start and I left the room a few times without pausing, which is never a good sign.

Simon Pegg's films just seem to get worse and worse. Shaun of the Dead was excellent, Hot Fuzz was similar but less funny, though it was saved by the action sequences, and Run Fat Boy Run is lame. The jokes are so unfunny and the acting is glib. It's boring and flat more than anything else. I suppose it kills time, but that's all it does.

Its only saving grace is the nice setting in London where we can see landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, Canary Wharf and the Houses of Parliament. The sound track isn't even that good, so it isn't even an excuse to listen to some nice music.

This is definitely one to leave at the bottom of the DVD pile until you're really stuck for anything else to watch. Oh, and David Walliams's small part where he appears in the queue at the bakery where Thandie Newton works was really awful. What were they thinking? Is he Pegg's mate?

His worse so far
I watched this on TV and I was grateful not to have watched in the cinema.
The plot is simple and has potencial for a good comedy but sadly apart from Thandie Newton there is very little else to admire in this film .
From the tecnichal side of things , the running training , race etc is woeful and I hope no one takes it seriously ( ie overtake the top runners in a marathon after a few minutes ).

2 stars