Hot Fuzz

I am not historically a fan of British humor. I have never really enjoyed a whole lot of Monty Python or any real English imports, but there is just something about the guys who made Shaun of the Dead and now, Hot Fuzz. I cannot quite put my finger on what makes them work. It may be that they seem have have seen every movie they parody and spoof, or just that the two main characters in both are just so darn likable. Well, whatever it is, I hope they continue to do this good kind of work because Hot Fuzz is an absolute riot of a time!


Nick Angel (Simon Pegg) is a cop who is so good at his job that his force sends him away because he makes them all look bad. Yes, it is sort of a silly starting off point, but it works and Simon Pegg can really act. He end sup in a small village where no crime happens (apparently) and he is reduced to chasing lost animals and giving speeding tickets only. The thing is, he doesn't seem to mind because he is dedicated to the job that he sees it as all part of the job. Angel is teamed up with Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) and it seems like an odd pairing from the beginning because while Angel has actually lived the cop life, Butterman only knows what he sees in the movies. And it seems as if Butterman has seen every action movie ever. The two main movies spoken of here are Point Break and Bad Boys two. The rest of the plot is as follows- People start dying, but they look like accidents and Angel is convinced of a murderous conspiracy. However, the rest of the cops are so used to these "accidental" deaths that they won't believe him. We also meet a cast of off individuals making up the Neighborhood watch, lead by the phenomenal Timothy Dalton and the excellent Jim Broadbent. Angel uncovers the plot and the actions ensues.


Yes, this movie is a satire on your typical big budget action film, but in its satire it is actually a very good action movie. Like they did with Shaun of the Dead, they poke fun at the genre while making a film good enough to fit in the genre. The gun fight at the end is wonderful, we have chases on foot and in cars and Edgar Wright (The director) moves the camera incredibly effectively, even using quick edits to his advantage, making normal things look fast by chopping up the scenes, so opening the fridge looks like a cool action shot. I love big budget popcorn movies and this fits right in there, only it is incredibly funny on top of having great action. They manage to get the classic Point Break moment and have the classic Helicopter slow motion shot from Bad Boys two in there, but both are done so slyly that it doesn't actually take away from the movie we are watching. The dialogue is snappy and as soon as you have recovered from laughing, you will be laughing again. Everyone does a great job and every time the movie looks like it might just get a bit too silly for my taste, it pulls back and becomes interesting. I went in expecting nothing and ended up truly enjoying my movie going experience.