Review of Hot Fuzz (2007) by Brittany F — 31 Aug 2013

I'll start out by saying I bought this in a combo pack with Shaun of the Dead without having seen it so this is a first viewing review. After watching this movie I have come to a definitive conclusion: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg are absolute comedic geniuses.

I don't include Nick Frost in this because he wasn't one of the writers, but he is hysterical as well. Most comedies today are full of just really low brow humor; I'm not saying that can't be funny but sometimes I get dick joke fatigue.

What I love about Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and hopefully the upcoming The World's End is that they don't need all the raunch to be funny they're just super clever. Now let me move on to Hot Fuzz specifically.

At first glance one might think this film is simply a typical buddy cop movie, but it is far from typical. The plot follows Nicholas Angel, an over enthusiastic cop who is transferred to a seemingly sleepy town where everything is not as idyllic as it seems.

Through this typical action movie plot the script takes every action movie trope and turns it on its head, needless to say hilarity ensues. As with Shaun of the Dead before it this film has struck gold with the comedic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Their chemistry is possibly the best out there and you can see the two truly enjoy working with each other. The jokes between the two pop off one another extremely well and they fit their character archetypes to a T.

Jim Broadbent and Timothy Dalton are also excellent additions to the supporting cast along with countless others. Another thing I absolutely love about this movie is the editing. The cuts are super quick which keeps the pace up.

This is used particularly well with the inclusion of all the paperwork that is usually glossed over in movies and TV, the cuts keep you interesting while still acknowledging that this is a real part of the job.

However one of the most impressive feats of editing is the scene where Nick and Danny are sharing a beer and it is intercut with a scene of a crime being committed. I won't go into details but the graphic matches and editing in general are just amazing.

I am truly pleased that I bought this movie and watching it makes me even more excited for The World's End.