Rating of
2/4
Somewhat Disappointing
Franz Patrick - wrote on 11/19/08
I expected this movie to be charming and silly, but I didn’t expect it to be so light. I thought the best part of the movie was the irony in the conversations and situations; the worst part, though, was the forceful slapstick that either hits or misses. Still, I did like the energy that the film had. Simon Pegg was funny as usual, especially the scene where he tries to run in short shorts for barely twenty feet. He has great comedic timing and he reminded me of why I loved “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.” I also really liked Thandie Newton as Pegg’s ex-fiancée but I think the filmmakers could have delved into her character a little more. She was a bit one-dimensional because she was always in scenes where she’s portrayed as still hung up about being left at the altar. At least with Pegg’s character, we saw some sort of change by the end of the picture. This was directed by David Schwimmer from “Friends” and though he did direct before (such as a few episodes of “Friends”), I should have expected a lot less. As a director, I feel like he should’ve told the story in a more focused manner, less slapstick, a little more character development, and made the final scenes more memorable. “Run, Fat Boy, Run” is far from being a bad film. It’s like a bird with damaged wings that keeps trying to fly but doesn’t quite get off the ground.
