"Run Fatboy Run." Good movie. Terrible title.

An English comedy directed and co-written by Americans, the humor falls not unappealingly somewhere between the two. Which means that along with subtle wit and clever humor, we also get men hitting each other where it hurts the most.

Simon Pegg, of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz," stars as a lovable loser who has never completed anything. The defining moment came on the day of his wedding, when he left his pregnant bride at the altar and ran away.

Five years later, he's still running -- but now it's as a security guard at a lingerie shop chasing after transvestite shoplifters. He's still in love with the woman he ditched -- she's played by Thandie Newton, so who wouldn't be? -- and gets to see her whenever he stops by to take out his son.

Our hero, Dennis, wants to get back with his ex, Libby, but she has found a new love. He's handsome, wealthy and responsible; everything Dennis is not. But he's American and played by Hank Azaria, so we can safely assume he is going to turn out to be a jerk.

Actually, everything about "Run Fatboy Run" is fairly predictable. The script by Pegg and Michael Ian Black breaks no new ground, but it's good for a steady smile throughout, several hearty chuckles and maybe two good belly laughs.

For instance, when Dennis expresses surprise that Libby would not be interested in him, his disreputable best friend explains, "You left her at the altar when she was pregnant."

"That was ages ago."

"Women remember that kind of thing."

That's good for at least a decent chuckle.

The title refers to Dennis' determination to run a marathon to prove to Libby (her bakery is called Libby's Nice Buns) that he can finish something he began. Once again, no part of this subplot is going to come as a surprise to anyone, but it does provide the filmmakers with a beating heart and some of the funniest lines -- coming, as they often do, from the mouth of a television commentator.

David Schwimmer makes his debut as a director -- yes, that David Schwimmer -- and he turns in a more than capable job. He understands the material, rarely belabors the jokes (except one notable instance with a mannequin) and allows the actors to grow into their characters.

To one degree or another, everything about the picture works. So why did no one ever get around to fixing the title?