xins-55181
If the man didn't finish the run, the woman didn't go back to him and the successful businessman didn't go evil all of a sudden at the end, I probably will give this film a 7. Unfortunately it turns out a stupid and naive story eventually. Guess the director believes the fantasy in Friends too much.
triplem33
This is a paint by the numbers movie.1. Man loses/gives away girl 2. Man wants girl back. 3. Girl find new man..apparently perfect. 4. Man wants girl back. 5. Man makes effort to win her back. 6. Man wins her back 7. Perfect man...ah...not so much. 8. We all live happily ever after.Two things that bothered me. 1. Why is it that the "new man" is always found wanting. Would be really interesting if she dumped him even though he was a good man. This certainly would make the film more interesting. She then would have to make a real choice. As it is there is no choice.2. You can't train for a marathon in 3 weeks. It would have been more realistic if the transformation took place over an entire year...for next year's marathon. It certainly would be more believable and demonstrate more of a dedication that would justify the transformation. Maybe transform the character in other ways: career, habits and lifestyle. I know its a comedy but this would have provided more depth and resonance to the story.
MacShoreman
I seen this movie 3 times since it was released. First time on the theater, second when I bought the DVD and third just minutes ago when I found it among my other DVD's. I enjoyed it every time I saw it and every time I think I liked it even more and more. Schwimmer found the every day pulse in the lives of the people portrayed in the movie and got it on the camera. The actors seams to have played their parts with such ease that it almost feels under acted. Not said in a negative way, the opposite. The whole production comes out as a genuine warm movie that brings that sweet feel to the audience without becoming Disney ultra sweet. It is nice but not in the negative way. This is a story about ordinary people with ordinary problems, pieces missing from their life puzzle. It is the tale about how small pieces of the puzzle can make things so much brighter even if it is the smallest ones that one by one is fitted in place. It also points out that most of the times it is up to our selves to do what is needed to get the pieces in place. The Marathon race becomes a perfect, easy to relay to, metaphor for that. Brilliant acting, good direction, many well shot scenes and a perfect sense of British humor brings out a movie well worth it. It is a joy to see Pegg work, his interaction with the other actors and the script. He has a complete grip of the personality of Dennis and brings him to life in a balanced way. Despite some scenes that could have been left out that did not bring anything to the movie or the story it is telling, this movie gets 10/10 from me. It is the total experience when seeing it in the right moment and right mood that makes this movie a gem.
Sandcooler
Underdog stories usually tend to be a bit formulaic, but this movie mocks the whole underdog cliché by just going completely over the top. Everything about this movie is retardedly implausible, and that's pretty much where all its charm seems to come from. Well, not all its charm, because Simon Pegg definitely deserves some credit as well. He does the same schtick he already did in "Shaun Of The Dead" (even the love subplot is eerily similar), but there's nothing wrong with not changing a winning team. A good underdog movie always has you cheering for the anti-hero, and this one drags out its finale so long that the obligatory corny euphoric moment lasts for roughly twenty minutes. Just picture the decisive homerun from "Major League" or the winning touchdown from "Remember the Titans", this movie's entire third act feels like that. Not the definitive sports comedy, but undoubtebly one of the funniest.
AD
