From the creators of Shaun of the Dead comes this film titled Hot Fuzz, which for the most part has some of the same cast members from Shaun of the Dead in it as well. However as Shaun of the Dead poked fun at the Zombie sub-genre, Hot Fuzz takes a more comical approach to the buddy cop action sub-genre. However don’t think that this is a film that is like all the other action films out there, remember Edgar Wright is directing this one, and just like Shawn of the Dead; oh yeah there some gore.
Hot Fuzz is about a really great big city cop named Nick Angel (Simon Pegg) whom seems to be a one man army when it come to cleaning up the streets of London. However his superiors think he’s doing too good of a job and he’s taking the work of arresting criminals away from the rest of the cities force, so Nick is promoted to captain and transferred to a small country town. while there he notices that the people of the town seem not to care much for the law. The town is in perfect shape and all the citizens seem happy there. When Nick is teamed up with a partner Danny (Nick Frost) they both begin to discover a few odd things about the town, while a killer is going around and murdering people. However the evidence is always being covered up, and they are all ruled as accidents by the police department. However Nick is certain that these accidents are murders and he soon finds out who’s behind them.
The script for Hot Fuzz is surprisingly complex. The storyline is kind of full of a few twists and turns which towards the end of the film get a bit repetitive, it get a bit annoying, as you wish the film would just come to a conclusion quicker than it does. However the comedy in the script is what saves it from being boring, even though it is a bit dragged out. The character development is the strong point of the script. Especially on the lead characters of Nick Angel and Danny. There is also a hint of horror in the film as well, as the killer is dressed a lot like a grim reaper ala the Scream movies. And the death scenes are over the top.
The acting in the film is actually very good. Simon Pegg’s role as Nick Angel stands out the most. When I look at Simon who’s only really major role was that of Shaun in Shaun of the Dead, I automatically thought that he would be playing the same character, being that this was another Edgar Wright production. Surprisingly I was wrong. Pegg really became the hardcore disciplined character that was required of the part, and his acting really showed that he is more than just a goofball like Shaun. Nick frost was his usually bubbly self and was the comic relief of this film just as he was in S.O.T.D. One great surprise this film was the casting of legendary James Bond actor Timothy Dalton as the not so right business man Simon Skinner. Dalton showed a different side of himself in this flick and it seemed he enjoyed the part. I must admit it was odd seeing such a serious actor in such a role, but then again he did appear in that Looney Tones film. The rest of the supporting cast did a great job as well. I’m actually very surprised that Edgar Wright got a lot of the older actors in the film to do some of the things that they did.
The production value on Hot Fuzz was actually pretty good. I often bitch that films made in the U.K. always look off when it comes to the overall production value. However I suspect that they had a pretty big budget for this flick, by all the action scenes that were shot for the film. I enjoyed the great use of the sets and the color schemes that were used, and horror fans will be happy to know that even though this is an action comedy, there is a lot of gore and blood when it comes to the death scenes. The CGI is a bit shaky on some scenes but it fits along with the comic image that the film is trying to portray.
Overall, Hot Fuzz was a laughing good time. The story is a bit over the top ,and the film does seem to drag towards the end, but the great acting and the laugh out loud scenes make the movie was it is. An enjoyable comedy with some crude humor, a bit of gore and a great time.
– Horror Bob
Play the “HOT FUZZ” ONLINE GAME : http://www.hotfuzz.com/game/
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