Hot Fuzz

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Bill Nighy
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Comedy
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a world-class cop. He's so good that he is making the other London cops look bad. They conspire and send him to a small rural village, where he is paired with an annoying partner (Nick Frost). The village has almost no crimes, but an unbelievably high accident rate. Angel begins to suspect something far more sinister is happening.

Review:

Tim: Most people genuinely enjoyed Shaun of the Dead, and I felt disappointed in it, so I wasn’t sure how to feel about Simon Pegg’s follow-up, this time spoofing the action genre of films. I have to say that this is a remarkable improvement on his earlier movie, and one I actually enjoyed. Don’t get me wrong—this film is flawed—badly, in some places. But, it does just enough right to make for a fun few hours.

The film succeeds most in when it relishes in its homage paying (but also spoofing) of the action movies we’ve all come to know. There are multiple conversations about action movies, which is actually really funny. Much of this comes from Nick Frost, and these moments are the film’s best. I love the question scenes—“Have you ever flown through the air while firing two guns?” “Have you ever flown through the air while firing a gun?” This is really, really funny.

Simon Pegg is very enjoyable as Nicholas Angel. He has some excellent comedic skills, which you could see in Shaun of the Dead, but are very apparent here. He works very well with Nick Frost. These two men together are hilarious, and every scene with them in it is at the least, quite interesting. The rest of the cast is quite good. Of special mention is Timothy Dalton, who revels in playing a mysteries possible-villain. I love his delivery of the line, “Here comes the fuzz.”

The film’s mystery will keep you entertained and the action movie references will keep you on your toes. However, this is all really just build up for the film’s climax, which proves to be far more intelligent and calculated than you would have been led to believe. There is a reason for the first hour and a half of the film, and it all begins to make sense at the end. This was my favorite part of the movie, and concludes the film in extremely satisfying fashion.

Pegg hit a comedic nerve with Shaun of the Dead, and here, he and his team improve on that formula. This isn’t a perfect movie, but it is more often good than bad. There are some truly funny moments, and I have to believe you’ll leave glad that you watched it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Shaun of the Dead