The REEL Addict 

RUN FAT BOY RUN won’t show you anything you haven’t seen before. It’s conventional, and it’s predictable enough that you’ll see every plot point coming a mile away, and everything that happens isn’t even remotely unexpected. The thing is, sometimes there’s nothing wrong with being derivative.

The basic story should be familiar by now in the glut of “slacker man-boys need to grow up” films we’re getting these days. Five years ago Dennis (Simon Pegg) got cold-feet and left pregnant Libby (Thandie Newton) on the day of their wedding, and now he’s behind in his rent, slightly overweight, and working as a security guard at a lingerie store. He’s still in touch with Libby on account of his relationship with their son, Jake, and desperate to get her back. Problem is a seemingly perfect American suitor named Whit (Hank Azaria) seems poised to ruin the opportunity. So Dennis makes it his intention to hinder the new couple, and prove himself to Libby. So when he finds out Whit is running in a 26 km marathon for charity, he aims to do the same to show he isn’t a quitter who runs away from anything that is difficult anymore.

If you can’t roughly surmise from that description what happens in the film, then you haven’t lately seen an underdog-sports movie or comedy with touches of romance and a loser-ish man-boy (I refrain from calling it a straight up romantic comedy for these reasons).That is not to say there aren’t a few surprises along the way, including an unexpected twist regarding the race that takes up the final act of the film. However, though the film hits all the comedic and dramatic elements you would inevitably expect, I’m a firm believer that there’s something to be said for derivative material that is never the less pulled off well. If it’s done well, infused with enough heart and humor, it can work, because it’s been proven to work in the past.

RUN FAT BOY RUN does work. You’re never surprised, but you feel what you’re supposed to, and you enjoy it. The funny parts make you smile and laugh, the dramatic moments are earned and successful, and the poignant feel-good moments hit you right where they’re supposed to. A large part of this success though is its cast. Thandie Newton is cute, and has moments of adorable naturalness in her performance. Hank Azaria does fine here as the more sensible alternative to our loser hero, even if he eventually turns into the asshole this genre ultimately needs him to be in order for Dennis to “win.” Dylan Moran is absolutely hilarious and almost steals the show as Dennis’ slacker best friend. Of course the star (both in terms of performance and status) of this film is Simon Pegg who is awesome as always. Whether it’s doing silly physical comedy, muttering hilariously bitter comments under his breath with perfect comedic timing, bringing real poignancy to his characters relationship with his son, or driving home sweet and dramatic moments, Pegg just continues to prove why so many people continue to love him and his work.

So is this film conventional and derivative? Sure, but in the end it proves to be successfully entertaining, and sometimes isn’t that enough for a trip to the movie theatre?

Grade: B+