 KSL Movie Show Review:...
RUN FATBOY RUN **1/2 By Steve Salles Standard Examiner movie critic GO: if you enjoy cheeky British comedy with emphasis on the “cheeks” DON’T GO: if you were counting on another “Shaun of the Dead” I know this movie screams goofy, but I just love Simon Pegg as the British everyman who’s made a big mistake he’s trying desperately to correct. And while the movie takes awhile to gain it’s momentum, when it does hit its stride, it’s quite satisfying and even heartfelt. Let’s face it. Dennis (Pegg) panicked, leaving his pregnant fiancee Libby (Thandie Newton) standing at the altar. He simply ran away from his intended commitment and now must deal with the consequences. Five years have passed. Dennis is still struggling with his loser status and lackluster job as a security guard for an upscale women’s lingerie boutique. He has managed to stay in his young son’s life, but Libby has never forgiven him for running off and in fact, has connected with a new man, an American go-getter Whit (Hank Azaria) with all the talents and funds that Dennis seems to lack. The realization that he could lose everything he’s been wanting and fears stares Dennis straight in the face, but he has to admit that Whit has him trumped in every area. In a bold and stupid move, the extremely out-of-shape Dennis decides to run in a big London Marathon that’s coming up in a few short weeks. He wants to prove to Libby and their son that he can actually finish something for once in his life and somehow prove that he is a fitting father and maybe potential love interest again. It will be an uphill battle and many are betting he won’t make it including his best friend’s seedy gambling buddies that are actually betting large sums of money that he won’t finish. The friend Gordon (Dylan Moran) has bet more than mere money that Dennis will finish the race and to ensure that unlikelihood, he agrees to train Dennis along with a crazy landlord who also has a vested interest. This is where the movie starts to pick up the pace, as the luckless Dennis faces the smug Whit on the field of battle (or in this case, the race course). Initially, the film (directed by David Schwimmer) feels like it’s trying too hard, but when the natural affections for this loathsome loser begin to surface, my interest in the story also grew. This is not as good as Simon Pegg’s previous efforts “Shaun of the Dead” or “Hot Fuzz,” but it’s a good enough distraction to keep you entertained until he reconnects with his longtime writing buddy Edgar Wright and his sidekick pal Nick Frost to make movie magic once again. This’ll have to do ‘til then.
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Steve