"Man that's off the f**king chain"
Written: Apr 21 '07 (Updated Oct 16 '07)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Great cast; funny and suspenseful at the same time (a rarity in the action-comedy genre)
Cons: Uh, yeah right.
The Bottom Line: Shaun of the Dead director's latest is the funniest action-comedy in a LONG time.
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| roaddogxviii's Full Review: Hot Fuzz |
Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a top cop in London's precinct, but because he's responsible for solving all the crimes, his colleagues have been made to all look bad. Forced to move to the Sanford precinct, Nick must also work with Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), the overeager constable and son of revered police chief Frank Butterman (Jim Broadbent). Danny is a hardcore action nut, and enjoys films such as Bad Boys II and Point Break, so he believes Nick to be the real deal. Meanwhile, a series of bizarre accidents that lead to people's demises occur, but no one except believes Nick when he believes these accidents to be the work of some darker force, except for Danny, who could believe that this could be the chance to live out fantasy. So the two must work together and find out who the person behind the Grim Reaper cloak is.
Who could forget Shaun of the Dead? This wacky zombie film pretty much was an homage to horror comedies (Dead Alive - I bring it up because director Peter Jackson among others praised the film) and George A. Romero-directed zombie films. It put director Edgar Wright at the top of the heap, and Simon Pegg became a hot commodity (he had a brief, but major role in Mission Impossible III, and appeared in the Grindhouse faux trailer Don't, directed by Wright). Well, Wright, Pegg, Pegg's co-star Nick Frost, and a host of famous British actors rally up for Hot Fuzz. And I'm pleased to report that it's a blast.
With Fuzz, Wright sinks his claws into the action film genre, but uses films of Jerry Bruckheimer and Joel Silver lore as pie crust. That's right, Bad Boys II and Lethal Weapon are among the many films of "honorable" mention. From uttering infamous quotes ("**** just got real") to filming a fist fight during a rainstorm (that happened during the final battle between Mel Gibson and Gary Busey's individual characters in the Richard Donner classic), Wright lampoons these scenes and makes sure they gel with the story effectively enough. Of course, there's other films that aren't safe: John Woo (gunslingers holding two guns), Clint Eastwood (Nick rides into town on a horse), and Tony Scott (flashbacks and suspects getting labeled have the sheen of a Nine Inch Nail video, just like in Domino).
The film also moves at a frenetic speed, yet there's plenty of time for characterization (wait until you hear what Nick Angel wanted to be before he chose the way of the shield). Of course, Wright doesn't pack on too much emotional weight on, since this is a spoof after all, but we enjoy the entertaining chemistry between Simon Pegg's straight-man sergeant and Nick Frost's oafish constable sidekick. And, like in Bad Boys II, they have to put up with two jerk officers (In America's Paddy Considine, Shaun of the Dead's Rafe Spall) who often make fun of them. Of course, unlike Jose Pablo Cantillo's meany cop from Disturbia, the Andys are always a welcome presence, and play off well against our heroes.
Even the supporting characters get plenty of well-written parts. Shaun of the Dead vet Bill Nighy makes the most of his limited screen time as Nick's original boss, Jim Broadbent matches Nick Frost's character's oafish constable as the Sanford chief, Paul Freeman (who played Ivan Ooze in the first Power Rangers film) is deadpan best as a priest who is part of a lampoon of Robert Rodriguez's Desperado (he brandishes his guns from his shirt sleeves), The Wicker Man's Edward Woodward has fun as the member of the Neighborhood Watch Alliance (I'll let you ponder on the abbreviation), and Timothy Dalton... I will be happy to say that one of the best actors to play James Bond (right up there with Daniel Craig) gives a bravura comedic performance as the smarmy supermarket owner (think of Cantillo's Disturbia performance, only intentionally funny and never overstaying its welcome).
Wright doesn't stop there. With 30 minutes left to go, the director films one of the longest, and most suspenseful, action scenes of the year. With Nick armed with almost every weapon from the storage, aforementioned side players pushed into the fray, plot twists about some of the Sanford citizens (which will rock your socks off), and David Arnold's adrenaline-charged compositions backing it up, Fuzz delivers high-speed action and laughs when our heroes fight the bad guys. I doubt anyone will sleep through it.
Hot Fuzz is irrepressible fun, and in a time when the only action comedies available are crap (Code Name: The Cleaner), it hardly pulls any punches. Even during the ending, which could've been melancholy, gets sucker punched with a scorching-hot one-liner ("Bring the Noise") and an enjoyable punk rock tune to cap it all off. For me, this is heaven. And I will await the days for Edgar Wright's next beast. Maybe we'll get some Americans in the cast?
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Funny Movie
Viewing Method: Studio Screening/Premiere
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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Epinions.com ID:
roaddogxviii
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Reviews written: 46
Trusted by: 2 members
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