He played the lead Nicholas Angel in "Hot Fuzz," and he was also the lead in "Run, Fatboy, Run," which we say Tuesday. Both very funny, and he's nicely deadpan in all the crazy antics going on 'round him. Right up my alley of humor :)
Review: Run, Fatboy, Run. Another movie at the post theater - sometimes they do get some good ones! :)
Dennis Doyle jilted his pregnant fiancee Libby five years ago, running away scared (what other reason would you have to run away from Thandie Newton?? She's gorgeous!). Now, five years later, he's realized he made a mistake and is trying to win her back. Except she's now got a new guy, the perfect Whit - rich, successful, handsome, marathoner. Dennis sets out to prove to her (and to everyone else) that he can finish something he starts, and enters the same race as Whit, the Nike River Run marathon. Smooth sailing, right? Except out-of-shape Dennis now has to train for the marathon...
"Run, Fatboy, Run" is a romantic comedy, not a spoof movie like "Hot Fuzz." Seeing the trailers I was thinking it'd be more a sports-movie spoof, so it wasn't quite what I expected, but still very funny. Thinking about it, it's more of a comedy with romance, because it's more about Dennis, than it is about the Dennis-and-Libby relationship. I'm not a big romantic comedy person - probably the genre of movies I'm most picky about. Too many are just teeth-achingly sweet, or the characters are outright irritating. It's a bad sign when you're watching a movie, and honestly don't care if the two leads end up together (or with anyone, ever!). Thankfully, this was not one of those movies! :)
This is a sweet movie, and a good message (stick-to-it-ive-ness), and you actually like the characters you were watching. Maybe it's being a British movie instead of a major US studio release. As Zach pointed out, characters in a comedy are, by nature, charactetures; that's why everyone can relate to them. But in so many Hollywood movies, the characters are so exaggerated that they irritate or insult! With a movie like this, more subtle, you recognize the characters and can laugh with them, instead. And, without giving too much away, I love the good British ending, of playing soccer happily on the green :)
Another inter-continental comment, but Simon Pegg (even with a false belly) is hardly a Fatboy. British-fat is a big step closer toward health than the American-fat. Maybe it's living in the Land of the All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet, but Americans seem to make EVERYTHING bigger, including themselves. Just a little observation.
Hank Azaria (the 'other guy' going for Libby's attention) is always funny. So deadpan! C'mon, he's been playing voices on the Simpsons for years - you know he's good at some subtle humor :) If you didn't know, on the Simpsons Azaria plays (among others) the voices of Moe, Professor Frink, Chief Wiggum, Lou, Carl, Bumblebee Man, Apu, Dr. Nick, and my personal favorite - Comic Book Guy!
And let me just add that... Whit works in the Gherkin!! Best building nick-name ever! One of the perks of this movie - so much London scenery, especially in the race along the Thames :)
Pegg is also on the writing team for these movies, too, which definitely puts him up there on my list, because these movies are just so wonderfully dry! Definitely have to see "Shaun of the Dead" now! The other writer for this movie is Michael Ian Black, one of my so-sarcastic favorite guests from VH1's decades series (I love the 70's, I love the 80's, etc). Another big reason to go see this movie :)
I was very surprised, but this movie is directed by David Schwimmer - yeah, Ross from "Friends"! Nothing much to add there, except my opinion of him just went up a good couple notches (never was a Ross fan - definitely my lease favorite Friend).
Overall, 5 of 5. Very funny, and I'd definitely like it on my shelf. So rare for me to like a romantic comedy (usually, I don't care a bit about the characters, or they irritate the heck out of me).
As a side note, I write a movie review today, because (unlike all you people that live in towns) I can't go and see "Prince Caspian" as it opens this weekend. :(
Review: Run, Fatboy, Run. Another movie at the post theater - sometimes they do get some good ones! :)
Dennis Doyle jilted his pregnant fiancee Libby five years ago, running away scared (what other reason would you have to run away from Thandie Newton?? She's gorgeous!). Now, five years later, he's realized he made a mistake and is trying to win her back. Except she's now got a new guy, the perfect Whit - rich, successful, handsome, marathoner. Dennis sets out to prove to her (and to everyone else) that he can finish something he starts, and enters the same race as Whit, the Nike River Run marathon. Smooth sailing, right? Except out-of-shape Dennis now has to train for the marathon...
"Run, Fatboy, Run" is a romantic comedy, not a spoof movie like "Hot Fuzz." Seeing the trailers I was thinking it'd be more a sports-movie spoof, so it wasn't quite what I expected, but still very funny. Thinking about it, it's more of a comedy with romance, because it's more about Dennis, than it is about the Dennis-and-Libby relationship. I'm not a big romantic comedy person - probably the genre of movies I'm most picky about. Too many are just teeth-achingly sweet, or the characters are outright irritating. It's a bad sign when you're watching a movie, and honestly don't care if the two leads end up together (or with anyone, ever!). Thankfully, this was not one of those movies! :)
This is a sweet movie, and a good message (stick-to-it-ive-ness), and you actually like the characters you were watching. Maybe it's being a British movie instead of a major US studio release. As Zach pointed out, characters in a comedy are, by nature, charactetures; that's why everyone can relate to them. But in so many Hollywood movies, the characters are so exaggerated that they irritate or insult! With a movie like this, more subtle, you recognize the characters and can laugh with them, instead. And, without giving too much away, I love the good British ending, of playing soccer happily on the green :)
Another inter-continental comment, but Simon Pegg (even with a false belly) is hardly a Fatboy. British-fat is a big step closer toward health than the American-fat. Maybe it's living in the Land of the All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet, but Americans seem to make EVERYTHING bigger, including themselves. Just a little observation.
Hank Azaria (the 'other guy' going for Libby's attention) is always funny. So deadpan! C'mon, he's been playing voices on the Simpsons for years - you know he's good at some subtle humor :) If you didn't know, on the Simpsons Azaria plays (among others) the voices of Moe, Professor Frink, Chief Wiggum, Lou, Carl, Bumblebee Man, Apu, Dr. Nick, and my personal favorite - Comic Book Guy!
And let me just add that... Whit works in the Gherkin!! Best building nick-name ever! One of the perks of this movie - so much London scenery, especially in the race along the Thames :)
Pegg is also on the writing team for these movies, too, which definitely puts him up there on my list, because these movies are just so wonderfully dry! Definitely have to see "Shaun of the Dead" now! The other writer for this movie is Michael Ian Black, one of my so-sarcastic favorite guests from VH1's decades series (I love the 70's, I love the 80's, etc). Another big reason to go see this movie :)
I was very surprised, but this movie is directed by David Schwimmer - yeah, Ross from "Friends"! Nothing much to add there, except my opinion of him just went up a good couple notches (never was a Ross fan - definitely my lease favorite Friend).
Overall, 5 of 5. Very funny, and I'd definitely like it on my shelf. So rare for me to like a romantic comedy (usually, I don't care a bit about the characters, or they irritate the heck out of me).
As a side note, I write a movie review today, because (unlike all you people that live in towns) I can't go and see "Prince Caspian" as it opens this weekend. :(
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