Review of Hot Fuzz (2007) by Isadore H — 16 Jan 2016

Hot Fuzz is a rare gem that is surprisingly better than its critical acclaim. It is a film that can easily be enjoyed as long as you don't mind its gratuitous violence at parts, but it is not the type of film that would garnish nominations for awards since it is more about entertainment than dramatic intent. It's sad that this is the case because it proves to be a solid movie through and through, breaking various conventions to make it stand out as well as implementing humor that is well beyond the likes of many comedies which come out in this day and age.

From the start, the film has a recognizable distinct style involving high intensity editing and excellent cinematography. The opening sequence features a monologue by Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) highlighting his amazing credentials as a police officer in London over a montage of his work in the field which supports those credentials. The visual style that is established in this sequence engages the viewer and proves to never be a bore as it is used throughout the film.

Once again, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are at the core of the movie, and their relationship in this film is much more interesting than their relationship in the predecessor of this film in the Cornetto trilogy: Shaun of the Dead. Whereas in Shaun of the Dead the two were great friends and the core problem was that Frost's character somewhat held Pegg back, in this film Pegg and Frost develop an unlikely friendship after Pegg mentors Frost throughout the film on how to improve as a police officer. On the other hand, Pegg learns from Frost that there is excitement in being a police officer (as seen through action movies which Frost's character is captivated by) and that Pegg should not take the job (and life for that matter) too seriously.

The solution to the "mystery" in the film seems too obvious as it is heavily implied in the first half of the film, but the truth and motivation is so unexpected it actually produces laughs with its shock factor. After this reveal, Hot Fuzz takes a turn to be more dramatic and features an action-packed third act which proves to be great fun.

Smart, well-made, and hilarious, Hot Fuzz is the type of film that would simply be a shame to miss out on.

4.0/4.0.