Fat Boy Could Stand to Gain Some Weight in the Humor Department

English actor Simon Pegg is best known for acting in and co-writing sharp comedies that lampoon traditional Hollywood genres, such as the hilarious zombie spoof Shaun of the Dead in 2004 and the action-movie parody Hot Fuzz earlier this year. He has even appeared in a British TV movie called Spider-Plant Man. It feels odd, then, to see Pegg playing the lead in a film as by-the-numbers as Run, Fat Boy, Run, a straightforward tale about how an affable slacker cleans himself up and becomes a hero.

The film’s original script was written by Michael Ian Black, a comedian famous for his work in offbeat TV shows like Stella and movies including Wet Hot American Summer. After the UK-based Material Entertainment became involved in Run’s production, Pegg rewrote the script, changing its setting from New York to London. In spite of this transatlantic shift, the film is still directed by American (and former Friends star) David Schwimmer.

Alas, Run’s backstory is almost more interesting than its sitcomesque plot. Pegg plays Dennis, a “high-level security officer at an upscale retail outlet” (read: Rent-A-Cop) who, at the beginning of the film, literally runs out on his pregnant fiancee Libby (Thandie Newton). Five years later, Dennis is still pining for Libby. Unfortunately, his ex has moved on—she’s started dating Whit (Hank Azaria), an irritatingly perfect hedge fund manager from the States who is training for the London Marathon.

After Libby berates him for never being able to finish anything—at one point, Dennis stutters and Libby yells, “You can’t even finish a sentence!” (cue the laugh track)—Dennis impulsively decides that he too will run and complete the upcoming marathon. Helping him out are Gordon (Dylan Moran), Dennis’ indolent best friend and ersatz coach, and Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel), Dennis’s rotund landlord. Can Dennis get it together, finish the race, and win Libby back?

Of course he can. Movies like Run, Fat Boy, Run aren’t supposed to be surprising; we watch them because we want to see a likeable everyman triumph over a snooty bad guy and eventually win a well-deserved happy ending, after suffering through a few pratfalls along the way. In that sense, Run delivers—Schwimmer’s film is certainly competent, if unremarkable. It has moments of real heart, especially when Dennis and Libby’s adorable son Jake (Matthew Fenton) is on screen. However, seeing such a predictable product come from such a talented production team and group of actors is a bit of a disappointment.

But there are still plenty of laughs to be had in Run, particularly when the film strays from the formula. Moran gets some of the movie’s best lines—after Dennis asks Gordon why he doesn’t have an alarm clock, Gordon replies, “I never need to be anywhere.” There is also a wonderful throwaway gag where a close shot of Moran pulls away to reveal that, for some reason, he isn’t wearing pants. If only Run, Fat Boy, Run had more of these moments, it would make more of an impression. As it is, the film seems destined to fade from the moviegoer’s memory almost immediately after leaving the theater.