Run, Fatboy, Run

From the British comedic mind that brought Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz to the States comes Simon Pegg's latest amusing romp, Run, Fatboy, Run, the story of a man who is determined to finally finish one thing in his life to win back the love of his life: a marathon through the streets of London.

Pegg plays Dennis Doyle, a hapless retail security guard who seems to be followed by trouble. After leaving his pregnant fiancee, Libby, at the altar on the day of their wedding, Dennis finds himself in a dead-end job, surrounded by a group of gambling friends and a landlord who can hardly remember he lives in the building. When at Libby's home one day to pick up their son, Dennis learns that Libby is dating an American named Whit. Testosterone kicks in, and Dennis decides he is going to outshine Whit at an upcoming marathon to win back Libby.

Most of the humor stems from the competition between Dennis and Whit for Libby's affection. Dennis's best friend, a gambling addict named Gordon, also makes for some funny moments as he takes on the role of Dennis's training coach to ensure he wins on a bet he made on Dennis.

The plot moves slowly in the beginning and seems to drag on for the first hour. If you can make it through the first hour, though, the story line picks up and becomes entertainingly hilarious. While most of the puns and jokes are the British brand of humor, Whit's American character helps the comedy to translate for Americans.

The story's happy ending of a family reunited makes for not only a funny story, but a heartwarming one, too.