Office Race

Today felt like a comedy night with the wife we randomly choose and watched Bedazzled on one app and soon after we were working on a good solid 45mins of doom scrolling comedy movies on Paramount plus and we came across this one, first of all respects to the graphic designer who put that together, probably the best thing about the movie.

44 minutes in and we had to switch it off, it felt like a never ending sketch that just wouldnt quite hit the mark, it had some random bits that were the oppposite, it kinda wanted to be Wet Hot American Summer/Hot Rod/They Came Together but it just felt generic.

Disappointing too because the movie is packed with comedic actors.

Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton & Hank Azaria made "Run Fat Boy Run" (brilliant). This movie, Office Race took that plot, removed the brilliant parts, and added toilet humor and crude sex jokes that fall flat. I own Run Fat Boy Run and I rewatch it every few months, best modern underdog story ever. So Funny. The landlord, the gamblers, the shoplifter, the characters are so memorable. I won't ever bother watching Office Race again.

The plot and the script are the problem. The players did their best. I just watched it before writing this review and I'm deliberately trying to forget it. Run Fat Boy Run is so much better.

Pat (Beck Bennett) is a slacker salesman at an internet finance startup. His former underling Spencer (Joel McHale) gets promoted ahead of him. They need to make a sale to marathon-obsessed Rita (Erinn Hayes). Pat ends up training with Rita's group for an upcoming race with the sale on the line.

SNL alum Beck Bennett does a lot of voice work. As the comedic lead, he needs to be appealing even with the slackerism. In fact, his slackership needs to be fun and enjoyable to the audience. It's meh. That infects the whole movie. It's all very meh. Joel McHale is doing his irreverent most. Mostly, I'm not in love with this lead.

If you're a runner-you'll be laughing and feeling the truth, absurdity, and emotional arc of Pat's (Beck Bennett) transformation of his journey from couch potato to dedicated marathon runner and rooting for him against his hilariously evil boss, Spencer (Joel McHale). McHale's building insanity against Beck's straight performance is a *chef's kiss*, and the make up artist should be compensated double-nay, triple-that transformed McHale from Ken-tacular to testicular.

A cosmic gumbo of over-the-top bits alongside insightful moments for runners, Office Race is a cult comedy in the making with an incredible cast of comedic main stays and newcomers.

If you're a runner's friend, family, or loved one-you'll just be laughing at them. 10/10.

It feels like this movie is out of date in ways that I can't necessarily put my finger on.

As if it was written for actors we actually cared about, ones whose chemistry and comedic voice demanded our attention, and allowed our minds to roam free in hilarity whilst reminiscing how good the humour was, letting us roll through those awkward pauses, joke after joke.. just, laughing.

This movie has none of that.

The acting is wooden and stale. The awkward pauses between jokes seemingly go on for decades.

The editing feels as if it's trying to slow down the movie. This is a 40min episode of a mediocre show with barely recognizable c-list "celebrities".

Even if you just need background noise, choose something else.