PicturehouseReview in a Hurry: An out-of-shape schlub (Simon Pegg) trains for a marathon in hopes of winning back his ex-fiancée (Thandie Newton). Director David Schwimmer (yep, Ross from Friends) puts his strong cast through the paces, but this thin-on-laughs Fatboy stumbles more than sprints.
The Bigger Picture: In Shaun of the Dead, star Simon Pegg battled the U.K.'s undead—and put a fresh, funny spin on the zombie genre. But this time, even the actor's appealing persona can't save a story that depends on done-to-death comedic devices.
Pegg plays pudgy Londoner Dennis, who works as a security guard at a ladies' lingerie store and struggles to make rent. His life has been a mess since he ditched his pregnant bride, Libby (Newton), at the altar five years ago, a decision he regrets.
Dennis insists he's a changed man, but Libby has moved on, now dating Mr. Wonderful, er, Whit (Hank Azaria), a handsome, charming, successful businessman. How can a loser—even a loveable one—compete with that? Dennis announces he'll enter the same 26-mile Nike River Run that Whit is training for and slips his formerly cold feet into a pair of running shoes. (Make that Nike shoes—the product placement with that ubiquitous swoosh is shameless.)
Instead of parodying genre clichés, as other Pegg pics have, Fatboy takes the conventional track of a typical underdog story. There are the expected overweight jokes, training montages, silly schtick (Pegg falls down a lot) and a pointless gross-out gag involving a huge blister. Ick.
Despite those hurdles, the flick scores a few chuckles, if no big laughs, thanks in part to Dylan Moran as Dennis' feckless friend Gordon. Plus, Pegg proves an amiable leading man—sharing endearing moments with Newton and their young son—so you can't help but root for the guy. To that end, Fatboy provides a satisfying finale but still trips too many times before the finish line.
The 180—a Second Opinion: If you're a Hank Azaria fan but mostly just know his voice (from The Simpsons), check out all the actor here in the flesh. The naked buffster shows off everything...except Hank Jr.!