Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) stars as Dennis, a loser who works as a security guard in a lingerie store. I nearly used the phrase "lovable loser," which was surely what Schimmer and his screenwriters (Pegg and The State's Michael Ian Black) intended, but to be frank, it's a bit of a stretch. In the film's opening scene, Dennis leaves his beautiful, charming, pregnant fiancé Libby (Thandie Newton) standing at the altar, and that sequence is just plain hard to get past; it's difficult to ask us to root for a guy when we're given so little reason to like him. It speaks volumes about Pegg's considerable skill that he is ultimately sympathetic, but it takes every ounce of his likability to pull that off.

Dennis has spent the last five years regretting that mistake but always assuming that, once he grew up, Libby and his son Jake represented a family-in-waiting--hence his shock when Whit (Hank Azaria) appears on the scene. Whit is just about everything Dennis is not: bright, successful, wealthy, and fit, thanks to his hobby of marathon running. In a fit of desperation and jealousy, Dennis vows to Libby that he can run the marathon himself, just to prove that he can change. She's dubious. So is Whit (who, shockingly, turns out to have--wait for it--a mean side!). So is everyone who knows him. Care to take a guess how it turns out?

The performances are the key; aside from Pegg's fine work, we have a lovely turn by Thandie Newton, who is not one of my favorite actors (mainly because of her recent run of intolerable turns in otherwise-fine films like W and The Pursuit of Happyness; I can't blame her for Norbit or Crash, though she certainly didn't help either of them), and then we have Hank Azaria, doing the best he can with a role whose turns might as well be written across his forehead. He does manage to get a few laughs (mostly by playing it straight); the same is true of Dylan Moran as Dennis' best buddy, in spite of the fact that his character is such a blatant replica of Rhys Ifans' in Notting Hill.

Schwimmer's direction isn't terribly inspired, but it doesn't really need to be; in character comedy, the smartest director is the one who is wise enough to stay out of the way. His only serious problem is with tone; it's forgivable to try to jump from the slapstick of the training sequences to the romantic entanglements of the main story, but the film takes a couple of unfortunate detours into gross-out territory (I'm thinking of the stomach-churning scene with the foot blister) that play way off-key. With those caveats, though, Run Fatboy Run is at least worth a look.

The DVD

Video:
Schwimmer mentions, on the audio commentary track, that this was a low-budget film, but you certainly can't tell from the crisp 2.40:1 anamorphic image. It's a good-looking movie, bathed in some slightly autumnal saturation but without any noticeable video issues. The disc also includes the option of watching the film in full-screen, if you're one of those people.

Audio:
The 5.1 surround mix is fairly front-heavy with emphasis on dialogue, as it should be. The LCD channel gets a bit of a workout in the film's opening scene, but otherwise, the surround effects are mostly underutilized until the big race climax. The soundtrack's assortment of pop songs fills out the mix nicely. A standard 2.0 soundtrack is also available.

Extras:
The extras here are a little disappointing, more filler than killer. The standout is the Audio Commentary with director Schwimmer, stars Pegg and Newton, and Pegg's "mum", Gill. The track is both chatty and informative, and at least sporadically funny. Schwimmer mostly plays the straight man, imparting production information and analysis, while Simon Pegg and the others provide color commentary and one-liners. It's by no means essential listening, but it's interesting enough for fans of these folks.

Next up we have a selection of Deleted Scenes (07:20). These are almost entirely nips and tucks, the kind of minor deletions and changes that the casual viewer would be hard-pressed to even identify. Schwimmer's audio commentary is also available for these short scenes. Then we have the Outtakes (06:47), which are absolutely befuddling; the expected crack-ups and blown lines are, for some reason, interspersed with legitimate clips from the film (in fact, there are probably more film clips than outtakes in this montage). It doesn't work at all.

More enjoyable is the quick diversion of "Thandie's Goof" (2:54), a brief piece of raw video showing Simon Pegg at the film's press junket, falling victim to a practical joke set up by Newton. Pretty funny stuff. Rounding out the disc are domestic and international Trailers, as well as Sneak Peeks of other New Line releases.

Final Thoughts:
Run Fatboy Run isn't a bad film, but it is a disappointing one; considering that it assembles the talent behind projects as diverse (but entertaining) as "Friends," Hot Fuzz, and "Stella", it should deliver the funny more than it does. It's a film of more mild grins than big laughs, and is likable without being terribly memorable. Rent It.

Jason lives in New York. He holds an MA in Cultural Reporting and Criticism from NYU.