Review: Star Trek Beyond (2016)

My husband (awww!!) and I made right fools of ourselves at the cinema. It’s not very often that we see a movie in 3D, but we thought we’d make an exception for Star Trek Beyond. It looked stunning in the trailers, after all. We scoffed some dinner after work, I grabbed our 3D glasses out of the cupboard, and we raced off to the cinema (to catch a few Pokemon before the trailers of course). Mistake number 1. I’d stuffed our 3D glasses into my handbag. My very lovely Loungefly Stormtrooper handbag. Mistake number 2. My husband was wearing his favourite Darth Vader shirt. Mistake number 3. Those 3D glasses? They’re special edition Star Wars ones. I swear, the staff didn’t know whether we were being trolls or just plain stupid. Haha!! Star Wars junkies turning up to see Star Trek...why don't I know this story! We didn't look very cool taking those glasses to see Suicide Squad either...

Anyway, Star Trek Beyond is the third installment of the rebooted franchise, and in this movie we find the Enterprise’s crew 3 years into their 5 year mission. Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine) is questioning his commitment, and Spock (Zachary Quinto) is also considering leaving for personal reasons. The two agree to talk just before a distress call comes in, which turns out to be a trap.

Oh boy. That alien attack on the Enterprise inside the nebula was absolutely stunning. It honestly felt like the finale to the movie rather than the introduction. That was the moment I was glad to have shelled out for 3D. That scene was my favourite from the whole movie, actually. You know how it goes in these flicks, the heroes are facing certain doom but you just know they’ll make it out okay in the end. I was honestly fearing for everyone’s lives at that point, it was so well written, acted and shot. The sight of the Enterprise hurtling through space to crash was so sad.  I loved this scene and it did feel like the end of the movie, I am glad however that I didn't watch it in 3D...my god...I thought  I was going to spew countless times.  The spinning, oh god the spinning - I felt actual nausea....urgh!  Had i seen it in 3D I would not have gotten through it without being reintroduced to my earlier Nandos! You went to Nandos without me?! I'm hurt.

Speaking of sad, there I was clutching my pack of tissues ready for Chekov’s (Anton Yelchin) scenes, when I forgot all about Leonard Nemoy! There were a few touching tributes to him, both in the movie itself and the credits. I wasn’t expecting Chekov to have such a big role in this movie, which was bittersweet in a way. As much as I wanted to see him, I couldn’t help but feel a bit gutted. I don’t know if it was done deliberately (I don’t know how if it was) but there’s a bit right at the end when a toast is made to ‘friends no longer with us’ and I swear the camera was focused on Chekov. Sob… It actually did and I think it was done on purpose, that what I read anyway, it was on the internet so it must be true...right?!

I was fully prepared to be all emotional, I shed a few tears at both the tributes to Leonard Nemoy and Anton Yelchin but I waited for the credits and that got me!  I was blubbing like a baby, oh man!  My Dad was seriously embarrassed to be seen with me!

Cool action and touching tributes aside, I didn’t enjoy Star Trek Beyond as much as I hoped I would. It was a solid movie, but I loved the other 2 so much it would take nothing short of perfection for me to gush about this installment. It was just lacking something, and I’m not sure what. I didn’t understand the lead villain Krall (Idris Elba) very well for a start. It’s only in the final action sequence that you learn who he really is, and at that point I’d kind of stopped caring. That sounds harsher than I mean it to, actually. He was no Khan, let’s face it!  You were never going to like any bad guy as much as Khan, you are a biased source!!  I actually liked Krall as a bad guy and loved the story behind his bad-guy-ness!! My biggest issue is that I hadn't done much research into the cast beforehand and spent most of the film trying to work out who the bloody actor was! 

When I found out Justin Lin was taking over the director role and after I saw the trailer, I was genuinely concerned that it would be all action and fire power and no story.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The story was great and there was just the right amount of action, I loved the hints of comedy that we have come to love from this franchise.  

The Spock and Bones (Karl Urban) team up was a great choice, I could listen to the two of them bicker at each other for ages, but they were the only ones providing the laughs this time. That said, I really enjoyed the new character, Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) and her appreciation for loud music. A solid movie all round, but just not quite as good as I was hoping. The 3D was definitely worth it!

This didn't quite match up to the first two but it was entertaining enough to stop me fidgeting and there was a good mix of comedy, action and sentimentality.

Christmas Cast-a-Thon - Allie's Post

You know, whilst I was dreaming up the post for our Christmas Cast-a-Thon, I actually had no idea what kind of cast I was going to create, or what kind of movie it would end up being. I was more excited to see everyone else’s posts! But it would certainly be rude to not take part in your own blogathon! So here’s what I’ve come up with.

If you'd like to take part, check out the announcement post here.

Christmas is the perfect time to watch cheesy movies without feeling guilty, so that’s exactly what I’m making here. I’m going for typical rom com with a Christmas flavour!

Santa - Benji, Mission Impossible Series (Simon Pegg)

Let’s say the IMF were shut down. When your entire career is a secret, your CV isn’t going to look that great, and so poor Benji is forced to work at a toy megastore as Santa over the Christmas holidays just to pay the rent.

Santa’s Helpers - Olive, Easy A (Emma Stone) & Winston, New Girl (Lamorne Morris)

Just because their job title is ‘Helper’ doesn’t mean they’re actually helpful! Olive is providing all the laughs here with her dry, sarcastic. humour, at the expense of everyone around her. Winston is looking for some extra cash on the side of his cop job, but he’s also Santa’s perfect wingman in his search for true love. Speaking of which…

Parents - Sabrina, The Change-Up (Olivia Wilde) & Owen, Jurassic World (Chris Pratt)

Married life as a legal secretary and a velociraptor handler is busy, and stressful, and that’s what ultimately led to the divorce of Sabrina and Owen. Sob. Luckily, Sabrina’s best friend Olive just so happens to work very closely with an eligible bachelor. See where this is going?

Child - Alexander, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Ed Oxenbould)

Alexander is having another terrible day it seems. Not only have his parents just finalised their divorce, but he’s being dragged Christmas shopping with his Mum to meet up with his rude Aunt Olive who isn’t even his Aunt, and he’s reached that age where he’s 99.9% certain Santa isn’t real.

Scrooge/Grinch - Dwight, The Office (Rainn Wilson)

Let’s say Dunder Mifflin really did shut down in the end. Things were looking pretty bad, but now Dwight has secured a role as Assistant Store Manager (or should that be Assistant to the Store Manager?) at the city’s biggest toy store. Only thing is, he hates Christmas. The only thing he hates more than Christmas are the company’s new hires, Santa and his Helpers. They spend far too much work time chatting, and Dwight is going to make darn sure all three of them get fired.

Extra Roles:

Grandad - Bryan, The Taken Trilogy (Liam Neeson)

Let’s face it, if you’re going to end up dating the daughter of any Liam Neeson character, especially Bryan Mills, you best make sure you don’t hurt her feelings. Or he’ll find you. And kill you. Wait, no. This is a lighthearted movie! Cool it, Bryan!

Family Pet - Grumpy Cat, Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever (Aubrey Plaza)

I’m cheating a little here. Last week I discovered that this movie existed. I scoffed that Grumpy Cat has his (her??) own Christmas movie. Then I noticed Grumpy Cat is voiced by Aubrey Plaza. Never before have I bought a DVD so quickly! I haven’t watched this yet, but come on, what Christmas Movie is complete without a (dis)loyal family pet?

That’s it! Would you ever consider watching my stereotypical, predictable Christmas Movie? I would, and then I’d add it to my list of guilty pleasures. Can’t wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

Review: Man Up (2015)

I remember seeing this trailer but I forgot all about the film and it must have only been on at the cinema for a day or two for me to miss it.  Any who, I luuuuuuuurve Simon Pegg so how could I not love this, although I've yet to like Lake Bell in anything! This is the first I've seen of her actually, but she does have a terrible case of 'resting bitch face'. I feel like we're eyebrow sisters though, so she gets a thumbs up from me!

Nancy (lake Bell) is 34 years old and single and incessantly bothered by family and friends to date and even by strangers on the train.  Jack (Simon Pegg) is due to meet his blind date under the clock at the train station and unwittingly assumes Nancy is is date.  Following a trail of Secondary School stalkers, ex-wives, drinking, notebooks and divorce papers their first date is not what they expect....

So, here's the thing,  I am single, I have been single for 6 years (mostly by choice) mainly because I don't date, I hate everything about it.  The awkward silences, what to say and not to say, what to wear...urgh i'm getting stressed just thinking about it.  BUT...This film made me look at dating in a different way, I never actually thought dates could be fun - maybe I've never been on a date with the right person but honestly it has broadened by horizons and I think I may reconsider dating in the near future.

Ok, what that a bit too much personal stuff - let me put it into context.  I watched this film and I found myself smiling, there was real chemistry between Simon Pegg and Lake Bell that was enjoyable to watch.  As with all rom coms I was willing them to get together, I did hope it would be a bit more realistic than it was as the rest of the film had been pretty 'normal' as such.  Other than that though, I really enjoyed it and would happily watch it again, if only just for Sean (Rory Kinnear), who was hilarious as Nancy's stalker.

Yeah, I think my only complaint was that the first half of the film was very realistic and true to life, even awkward for all the right reasons, and the second half fell into a bit of silliness, but my face hurt from smiling so I can definitely forgive that! I haven't watched many BBC Films over the years, but recently, every one I have watched I have fallen in love with. Not just enjoyed, but absolutely loved. Partly I think it's down to the humour. Only in the UK can we joke about someone throwing themselves in front of a train, blaming it on the constant delays.

Simon Pegg also proves that you don't need a Hollywood smile and a body fit for Magic Mike to be the leading man of a rom com. He certainly scrubs up well, but he just has a natural charm! This might also be the first film of his where I wasn't pining for Nick Frost to turn up, too!

Some may not enjoy this as much as I did but as you can see it seemed to have an impact on my personal life.

Mini Reviews: The Maze Runner (2014), Fantastic Four (2015) & Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Doing overtime at home to pay for our cat Loki's vet bills has meant I've worked my way through a lot of movies recently, which in turn means plenty of reviews to write up! This little set mainly contains movies that Jenna's already seen and reviewed, so it seemed silly to dedicate a whole post to each!  You know I drafted a post for Mission Impossible but never wrote it or posted it?! You didn't?! I thought you did, ha!

I have very little interest in the Fantastic Four series, it’s just never had much appeal to me. However, I won’t miss a chance to see a superhero movie and despite the appalling reviews, I gave Fantastic Four (2015) a go. Boy, it really was terrible. The introduction was alright, although the characters were boring, and the ending was okay, especially in terms of special effects. The main problem was everything else, cheesy dialogue, awful acting and just a boring plot that didn’t flow well at all. I guess Green Lantern isn’t the worst superhero movie anymore, huzzah! I’ll take that as a win. Damn it!!

When the trailers came out for The Maze Runner (2014), I wasn’t bothered in the slightest. I hadn’t read the books, and I was still in awe of The Hunger Games so I wrote this off completely. Curiosity got the better of me though and I ended up enjoying this much more than I thought I would. The tension and now knowing where the plot was going kept me hooked and I was pleasantly surprised. Dylan O’Brien impressed me in Teen Wolf and he makes a great lead in this. I’m quite looking forward to watching The Scorch Trials now!

Although I was very late to the party, I really enjoyed 2011’s Ghost Protocol and when the trailers came out for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) I couldn’t wait. It sounds silly but it’s probably one of my favourite trailers, I think it was the music that did it for me. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the latest mission. Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg have such a great on-screen chemistry, I’d happily watch them together in anything! I got a little lost in the game of ‘Is Isla a good guy, bad guy, double agent, double double agent’ malarky but that’s normal for me, ha.

Review: The Boxtrolls (2014)

Have you ever, when you’ve met someone new, or been stuck next to a stranger for any length of time, had an extreme disliking of them, for no real reason? (I really hope it’s not just me by the way). There’s a review here somewhere, I promise. When the trailer came out for Boxtrolls, I was a little ‘meh’. It looked alright, but I was going to wait for the DVD release to watch it. Then the Oscar Nominations came out, The Lego Movie was denied a slot, but there was The Boxtrolls. From that moment, I hated the film for that reason alone.

But the other night, I decided to give it a try. Partly because I felt guilty, and one of my friends wouldn’t stop singing it’s praises. Partly because I wanted to see why the Academy thought it more deserving than The Lego Movie.

The Boxtrolls are a group of mischievous but kind-hearted creatures who live underground in the town of Cheesebridge. They each wear a box which they hide and sleep in, and never take off. Together, they raise an orphaned boy who they have named Egg, after the box he wears. Trouble hits the Boxtrolls when Archibald Snatcher, the town’s exterminator, starts to capture them all.

Anyone with an appreciation for stop-motion animation will be fascinated by this film. I studied it very briefly in college, and it was a royal pain in the ass. It’s easy to forget just how long each movement must have taken to create, and I did forget, until a really clever, almost breaking the fourth wall moment after the credits. That little clip really brought a smile to my face.

The Boxtrolls themselves are adorable. They’re grubby, heavy-handed, but loving and helpful at the same time. They’re all named after whatever is on their box, so you have Fish, Shoe, Sweets, Wheels, and even Knickers, who’s constantly pulling up his box. My favourite thing about stop-motion animation is due to the crazy amount of time it takes to create, there’s plenty of tiny, intricate details to spot. Wallace and Gromit is a great example of that.

My absolute favourite part of any kind of animated film is trying to work out who voices each character. It’s like a game to me, and I feel sorry for whoever is watching the film with me as I’ll pause every few minutes to pop onto IMDB to see if my guesses were right. I didn’t guess Ben Kingsley at all, that was a huge surprise to me, and as much as I love Richard Ayoade, his voice didn’t match his character at all, which was weird.

The plot was predictable, and the little twist was fairly obvious, but I can’t criticise that as I’m not the target audience. It didn’t spoil anything for me, however. All in all, I really enjoyed The Boxtrolls, and I’d like to apologise to it for the undeserved hatred I gave it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and buy a Fish Pop! Figure…

Review: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Just a couple of weeks ago, me and the other half were talking about The Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy and it reminded me of how much I actually love Simon Pegg as an actor. I sort of forget about him and then when I see him in something, I'm reminded of how great he is. It's now turned into a bit of a game to try and watch all of his films. So, we sat down last weekend and watched How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is based on a memoir written by Toby Young. The film tells the story of Sidney Young (Simon Pegg), who runs an alternative magazine in Britain called Post Modern Review. It pokes fun at celebrities who are media obsessed, and strays away from trends. One morning Sidney gets a call from the editor of Sharps magazine (Jeff Bridges), possibly Post Modern Review's biggest threat. Sidney is offered a job there and he leaps at the opportunity, leaving his old life behind and starting fresh in New York. When he arrives he meets Alison (Kirsten Dunst) and the rest, well, you'll have to watch it to find out.

I was a little apprehensive about this film at first, I mean, Simon Pegg as the lead role in a romantic comedy?  It didn't really make much sense. However, that crazy opening scene with him, James Corden and Chris O'Dowd just dissolved those thoughts instantly. It just gave me that warm, British comedy fuzzy feeling!

However, once it all moved to New York, I really felt that the film lost its charm a bit. I wish I could elaborate further on this, but honestly it was just a weird vibe I got. It might have had something to do with Megan Fox's character, who irritated me immensely. I could never call myself a fan of Megan Fox anyway, but honestly I wanted to scream at the TV whenever Sidney showed any kind of interest towards her.

Again, I'm not a massive Kirsten Dunst fan either, but I liked her in this and I rooted for her to the bitter end. Jeff Bridges was brilliant, as always. I actually refused to believe that it was him when I saw his character, because I don't think I've ever seen him without a beard! Another acting highlight for me was Gillian Anderson, who admittedly I have only ever seen in the BBC show The Fall. She really stole the limelight in her scenes and was a truly interesting character to watch.

Simon Pegg was the ultimate highlight though, who completely proved me wrong and absolutely nailed his part. His character really developed throughout the film, and although he made some terrible choices that you wanted to shout at him for, he learnt his lesson and got everything that he deserved, both good and bad.

So in conclusion, this was an interesting but totally obvious story. It would have been a really forgettable film if it weren't for the cast, who were excellent minus Megan Fox. In fact, without her, it may have even been a great film. Sorry Megan.

Review: Shaun of the Dead (2004)

The other night, me and my other half had a much needed film night in. Pizza was ordered, the freezer was stocked with ice-cream, and we just needed to decide what to watch. Then he just happened to casually mention that he'd never seen Shaun of the Dead before. What! Well, that was one dilemma solved! When will you pair learn to hide your shameful non-movie watchingness, you just get shouted at from all angles!!

Shaun of the Dead is the first of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, and also fits into the extremely niche zombie rom-com genre! A Zom-com if you will! Shaun (Simon Pegg) isn't having a great time. His girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) has just dumped him; she's tired of spending every night at the Winchester pub with Shaun and his best friend Ed (Nick Frost). To drown his woes, Ed takes Shaun to the Winchester pub to cheer him up. Ed's speech is actually foreshadowing the rest of the film if you listen carefully!



So, Shaun and Ed get horrifically drunk, completely p*ss off their housemate Pete by playing electric music in the middle of the night, and wake up the next morning to find out that everyone around them has turned into a zombie. Despite the warnings of the news reporter on TV, Shaun and Ed set out to rescue his Mother (but not Philip, sorry) and Liz.  Just reminds me how much I love the scene when they are deciding on the plan:

"We take Pete's car, we drive over to Mum's, we go in, take care of Philip - "I'm so sorry, Philip" - then we grab Mum, we go over to Liz's place, hole up, have a cup of tea and wait for this whole thing to blow over. "

I don't watch horror films and the only other zombie film I've seen is Zombieland, so I can't really discuss the parody characteristics of Shaun of the Dead, but as a comedy, I absolutely love it. From terrible throwing skills to Ed's driving skills, this film makes me laugh just as much every time I watch it. I don't remember when I first saw it, but I know it was with my Dad, and we still talk about it and quote it all the time. We were on a caravan holiday and it just happened to be on TV one evening, and so we sat and watched it on a TV smaller than most tablet screens!

I too am not a horror fan but I am a zom-com fan (i'm not entirely sure if I came up with this or its a common thing to call them zom-com's but for the purpose of this post, I am staking claim!).  This was a great start to what turned out to be an awesome trilogy, I still love the scene where Shaun and Ed are throwing records at the zombie lady but don't want to throw the 'good ones'.  I laughed out loud nearly all the way through this film, its typical British humour paired with a zombie apocalypse - what more could you ask for?!

Don't be fooled though, because nestled in this loud-out-loud comedy are some serious moments that really grab you. I'm sure everyone must have seen this but spoiler alert anyway: the part where Shaun has to shoot his Mother brought a genuine tear to my eye.  I'm pretty sure the first time I saw this I cried, she was so lovely about it all as well!

I recently got a copy of Shaun of the Dead on DVD as I'm pretty sure the last copy is my Dad's, and there are a crazy amount of extras to go through. I've already watched the gag reel which is great, and there's a little section for the plot holes too. I'll make sure I get through all of it at some point! We need to have a movie night solely dedicated to the Cornetto Trilogy and its extras!!!

Now, I don't like giving out full scores because I tend to think that nothing can be perfect, but if any film deserves it from me, it's Shaun of the Dead.  Ooooh this is interesting, have you given a 10 before?  I don't remember seeing one!! I think Gone Girl is my only other 10 so far!

I did love this film, I can't give it a 10 because it's not up there with my other 10's but it's pretty close.

10 Actors I Would Watch in Almost Anything (Allie)

Forgive me if I get this wrong, but I think this theme started with Abbi at Where the Wild Things Are. I love the idea, list 10 actors that you would watch in almost anything, and then another list of 10 actresses. These are 10 guys who could sell a film to me just by being in it.

Why: When I was younger, every Saturday meant another Jim Carrey film. I was so excited the night before Bruce Almighty came out that I could barely sleep, and my brother and I still quote his character from Liar Liar on a regular basis.

Best Role: Bruce Almighty

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: I Love You Phillip Morris This is a great film, you must see it!

Why: This is probably the most simplest of all the actors in my list. I simply have never seen a bad Tom Hanks movie, and so I'm not sure I could ever refuse to see something that he’s in.

Best Role: Forrest Gump

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: Larry Crowne

Why: I’m sorry, I was about to type and then I got lost in those eyes. Can that count as my reason? No? Ok. I just think he’s incredibly charming, and just the right kind of cocky. Oh, and those eyes...

Best Role: Star Trek

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: Blind Dating

Why: He’s the most bad-ass guy I know. Not personally of course, but he’s bad-ass nonetheless. I actually really need to see some of his older work to see another side of him, but I would be first in line for Taken 9.

Best Role: Taken

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: Battleship

Why: I haven’t seen a comedy of Steve Carell’s that I haven’t found hilarious. I first saw him in The 40 Year Old Virgin and he’s just the master of awkward comedy. That’s not all though because I love his serious roles too.

Best Role: Crazy Stupid Love

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: Bewitched

Why: This man is an absolute legend. I love his acting work of course, but I just love how he has so much fun in anything he does. Not that I’ve met him, but he seems so great with his fans and he just oozes charm.

Best Role: The Avengers

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: The Deep Blue Sea

Why: He’s the first actor I ever became fascinated with; I have fond memories of tracking down some VHS tapes on Amazon when I was still in High School. I used to quote Bubble Boy on a regular basis.

Best Role: Donnie Darko

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: Rendition

Why: I don’t think I’ve ever loved an actor as much as Ryan Reynolds. His dry, witty humour is my absolute favourite, and I could watch any of his movies time and time again!

Best Role: The Proposal

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: None, I have actually seen everything he’s been in! So far at least.

Why: This guy makes me smile without even doing or saying anything. He’s just an incredibly likeable actor, and he deserved to be in any of my top 10 lists for the three flavours cornetto trilogy alone.

Best Role: Shaun of the Dead

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: A Fantastic Fear of Everything

Why: Benedict is my current obsession, thanks to Sherlock. I had to forcibly made to watch it in the first place, but I fell in love with his acting skills (and then just him!) soon after. He’s just incredible, and perfects whatever role he plays.

Best Role: Star Trek Into Darkness

The one even he couldn’t convince me to see: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (I really did try)

Review: Run Fatboy Run (2007)

I'm going through a little Simon Pegg phase at the moment (really?! you wouldn't guess from our draft list!! haha!) after getting my other half to watch Shaun of the Dead for the first time. I forgot how much I loved his films and I hadn't seen Run Fatboy Run since it came out in the cinema 7 years ago, so it was about time I re-visited it!

On his wedding day, Dennis (Simon Pegg) panicked and ran away from his future wife who was pregnant with their first child. Five years later, his ex-fiancée Libby (Thandie Newton) has moved on and leads a successful life with their son Jake and her boyfriend Whit (Hank Azaria). Dennis is determined to win her back and so enters a marathon to prove himself.

If you've ever seen one of my favourite Christmas films Jingle All the Way, the theme is familiar. Bad Dad must better himself and right the wrongs he did in the past. Admittedly, what Dennis did 5 years ago was truly awful and certainly can't be solved by running a marathon, but that's all I'll say without spoiling the ending for you.  That's what I could never get my head around when I watched this film, how does running a marathon fix anything?!

You can expect the same kind of humour as Simon Pegg's other films. Swear words dotted about, funny faces and the middle finger, and subtle moments where if you blink you might just miss them. Also, as an un-fit person trying to get fit, this film is hilarious. We've all looked like Simon Pegg above during our first spin class, right? I think I can do outdoor running just as well as he can too, although I'm slightly better dressed.  That is EXACTLY what I looked like in the ONE spin class I ever attended!

I love the Simon Pegg film humour, its typically British (see my At Worlds End vs This is the End post coming soon...) and I have to say although it made me want to vomit a little bit the blister scene had me in stitches.  I did kind of miss Nick Frost after Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz but I suppose that can be forgiven!

Hank Azaria makes a great sort-of bad guy, but the supporting characters are fantastic too, mainly Dennis' best friend Gordon (Dylan Moran) who only spurs Dennis on because he has a huge bet on him completing the marathon, and Dennis' landlord Mr Goshdashtidar (yes, I checked my spelling) who declares himself Dennis' assistant coach and slaps him with a spatula every 5 minutes.

For me Mr Goshdashtidar (I copied and pastes Allie's from above ha!) was the highlight, which is surprising as a fan of Simon Pegg but he stole ever scene he was in.  It wasn't as funny as Shaun of the Dead, but then it was more predictable so you sort of saw the jokes coming, whereas in SotD you literally had no idea what was going to happen next!  They took the rom-com and turned it on it's head (albeit kept the predictable bits) and limited rom bit and focused on the com bit.

I really do love this film. I cried a little at the ending, but then it doesn't take much to set me off. Run Fatboy Run is my ideal film when it comes to comedy, and I love how it doesn't have to have a Hollywood hunk to be a great rom-com either. I have to mark it down for Dennis' actions at the very start of the film though, as I image to some it would make his character come across as very unlike-able. 

 

I will also recommend a Simon Pegg film (except How to lose friends and alienate people...) because I love his sense of humour and difference his films have to other comedies out there.  If you haven't seen it, see it, if you have, see it again.