[Dragonman]

Hot Fuzz Review

By Dragonman

MPAA RATING: R for violent content including some graphic images, and language
Starring: Simon Pegg, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Robert Popper, Joe Cornish, Chris Waitt, Eric Mason, and Billie Whitelaw

Hello British comedy. Simon Pegg is backed in yet another movie spoof, his previous being Shaun of the Dead back in 2004, which spoofed the horror film Dawn of the Dead. As for Hot Fuzz, it basically spoofs every raw action movie ever made, along with big-city partner cops ("the fuzz"). Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is a hot-shot police officer that has a 400% higher arrest record than his fellow London cops. However, to bring irony to its fullest form, that turns out to be unfortunate for him, because it's making the police "look bad" compared to his achievements. So, to balance things out, his superiors send him to the quiet village of Sanford, where there hasn't been a recorded murder for over 20 years. Sergeant Angel is partnered up with officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), an action-fanatic that is eager to get his chance to experience a life of shootouts and car chases.. once he's done eating that ice cream cone, of course. After Sergeant Angel joins the force, a series of bizarre "accidental deaths" occur within the village, and Angel decides to follow his suspicions and investigate the cause of these "accidents", which lead into an comedic action-frenzy that has never before been seen on film.

Simply put: If you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead, then you will love Hot Fuzz. And if you didn't enjoy Shaun, or didn't see it, then there's still a good enough chance you'll be amused by this film. It's already being regarded as the top British comedy of the year 2007, and is praised by most critics out there (88% on RottenTomatoes, 8.2 on IMDb, and 81 on metacritic). While watching this movie, I found that everything I wanted to happen, happened. And it was still hilarious. When there are shootouts in supermarkets, and cops beating elderly ladies senseless, you know you're watching the right comedy. The British wit may be hard to pin down at times, but the fast-pace of the movie definitely helps in the action sense, and mirrors the comedy found from the older film (Shaun of the Dead). The writing of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright has absolutely improved and is clearly shown in this tight-plotted film where one joke jumps right to the next so quickly that you may even miss a few (gives you reason to go see it again, eh?). Along with the improved script comes the improved acting, with Simon Pegg proving himself to be a very credible cop that somehow pulls off being hilarious at the same time, and Nick Frost delivering his many punchlines superbly amongst the fast dialogue. The supporting cast are no slouches either, whose performances only add to the magnificent stream of gags per scene to keep your eyes wide open and popcorn spilling (well.. I spilled mine).

This action/comedy was a well-enough ride for me to see some bloody city justice served. It is an unbelievable thing when a movie can meet and beat its expectations, especially for one in the comedy-genre (and for being a film that generates a large amount of internet hype to due its predecessor). Highly recommended for any comedy-film watcher. I'm already anxious for another.