"Fatboy" is enjoyable, but don't expect it to reinvent the wheel

Rating: 8/10 (5 October 2008)

Run Fatboy Run
Directed by David Schwimmer.
Starring Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton and Hank Azaria.
Making his motion picture directorial debut, David Schwimmer shows that he is surprisingly adept at pleasing audiences with "Run Fatboy Run." The former "Friends" star remembers a few things from his sitcom tenure, most important of which is the trick of injecting life and energy into a predictable story. If it helped "Friends" for ten popular seasons, why shouldn't it work for "Fatboy"?
When everyman Dennis Doyle (Pegg) knocks up his girlfriend Libby (Newton), he chooses to do the right thing and leave her at the altar on their wedding day. Dennis fears that his future is bleak, and decides that his desertion will ultimately be what is best for Libby and their unborn child. With that glimmer of selflessness buried underneath Dennis's self-centered act, Schwimmer has the audience rooting for his leading man instead of cursing him. It's a smart move, especially when the leading man is someone as effortlessly likable as Simon Pegg.
After a few years have passed, Dennis's prediction of an unfulfilled life has been fulfilled. He is working as a security guard at a local clothing store, which would be fine if he didn't have to occasionally get off his butt to run down shoplifters. Everything that he does is half-assed, except for his devotion to his son, Jake. The type of parenting that Dennis employs with his son is sometimes chaotic, but always loving.
When an American hotshot named Whit (Azaria) moves in with Libby, Dennis is forced to realize the consequences of his inaction. He attempts to compete with the new boyfriend, entering a 26-mile marathon in hopes of beating the American. Essentially, Dennis needs to do what he does best in order to fix things: run. But this time he is running to show his responsibility, instead of trying to avoid it.
All in all, "Fatboy" is enjoyable, but don't expect it to reinvent the wheel. It can be very funny at times, which is perhaps why its failings are so disappointing. There is potential to be great, but the film ultimately settles for just being good.
The movie mingles with the same clumsy clichés that plague most romantic comedies, and has its share of corny moments. Schwimmer is smart to keep the focus on his actors, because they are the ones who really keep the viewer engaged when the movie sinks into predictability. And seeing Pegg clumsily running around London in a fat suit ought to be worth something.
Final Grade: B