Run Shaun Run!

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2010)

Simon Pegg the amazing and funny actor most known as Shaun of "Shaun of the Dead" back again in another great comedy with no zombies but playing almost the same lazy and confused character. And that's the great deal of the movie.
In "Run Fatboy Run" he plays Dennis Doyle a man known for running (literally and not literally) away of his problems or his duties. In the case of the movie he walked out of his own wedding leaving behind his pregnant bride Libby (Thandie Newton). After five years he wants a second chance with her and wants to live with his young son Jake but she's already involved with a man, the American and sportiest Whit (Hank Azaria) a guy who loves Marathon. Dennis thinks that this is a competition and he'll do anything to proof to Libby that he's a different man by joining a marathon that's going to happen in London.
If you remember Simon playing Shaun, well things are quite the same here too. His character is fat (not that much), lazy, playful, without any discipline and worst he can't barely run for few blocks without getting easily tired but he's going forward, training with his best friend Gordon (Dylan Moran, very funny) and his landlord.
OK here comes the criticism. It's not as brilliant as "Shaun of the Dead" but it has it's good and enjoyable moments. Simon Pegg is always great to see, and you become deeply involved with his mannerisms much because, I think, everybody has something in common with his character here, people always trying to proof something to themselves and to other people but instead he only makes silly and funny things. All of his attempts to run are comical (Wheter running after a travesty robber who stole things of the shop he works as security guard, or whether his first training steps on his street).
The casting is good particularly Dylan Moran and Hank Azaria and the guy who plays the Indian landlord. The screenplay is quite good, the writers (Pegg himself included) came up with a good idea (especially towards the ending with the marathon). Very entertaining and with a good soundtrack (songs of David Bowie and Kaiser Cheifs included). But the biggest surprise is to see who's behind the camera directing it: Actor David Schwimmer ("Friends") is the director of this great Brit comedy and he does a marvelous job (he has 2 cameos along the movie but you almost won't find him). 10/10