NoFace for Film

Title: Hot Fuzz
Year: 2007
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent
Rated: R

NoFace for Film rating: 5 out of 7

The brilliant folks who brought you Shaun of the Dead have returned. Whereas their last film was a clever parody of the zombie movie genre, director Edgar Wright and his leading men Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have turned their sights on the cop genre in their newest film, Hot Fuzz.

Nicolas Angel (Pegg) is the best cop in London. He’s so good at his job that he makes the other officers look bad. As a result, Nick’s superiors promote him to Sargeant and reassign him to the boring, sleepy little village of Sandford. Naturally, the tough city cop has a difficult time adjusting to his new life. Instead of chasing dangerous criminals, Nick finds himself chasing after underage drinkers and an errant swan. Furthermore, he has to put up with his new partner, the doltish but lovable Danny Butterman (Frost), who’s also the son of Sandford’s Chief Inspector (Jim Broadbent). A huge fan of action cop movies such as Bad Boys and Point Break (both of which are heavily referenced in the film), Danny considers Nick a real-life action hero and idolizes him.

When a series of horribly violent “accidents” start occuring, Nick decides to investigate. However, his efforts are impeded by the lackadasical attitude of his fellow officers, who refuse to believe there’s anything sinister behind these “accidental” deaths. After all, what could possibly go wrong in the cheery, friendly, close-knit village of Sandford, which hasn’t had a murder in 20 years?

Much like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz elicits a knowing, “wink-wink” mentality from its audience, as they play a game of Spot the Action/Cop Film Reference. And indeed, there are dozens. The Matrix series, the Die Hard Series, the Lethal Weapon series, and John Woo’s films are only the tip of the iceberg. What’s great is that Wright doesn’t just borrow lines or plot points from those films; he uses some of the camera shots and music featured in them. Even the Hot Fuzz poster is a parody of the Bad Boys II poster.

Unlike Wright’s previous film, the action in Hot Fuzz doesn’t really pick up until almost halfway in the film, when the “accidents” start to happen. However, it’s important to establish the setting and Nick’s new life in Sandford as being very dull and unchallenging. In short, the audience needed to feel as bored as he was. In addition, like the partners in the various buddy cop movies it parodies, it was necessary to allow the friendship between Nick and Danny to grow.

As mentioned earlier, there’s a good deal of violence in Hot Fuzz. After all, it parodies the action/cop genre, so expect a lot of guns blazing, mainly during the last half hour. And while overall the violence isn’t nearly as bad as say, 300 or Sin City, there are a couple of quick, nasty moments that made audiences retch and go “OHHHHHHHH!”

Although Hot Fuzz was very, very funny and clever in its parody of the cop film genre, it doesn’t quite measure up to the brilliance that is Shaun of the Dead. Then again, it’s tough to recreate a genius work of art. Part of it had to do with its slower pace during the first half of the film, but part of it was simply that it wasn’t as silly and outrageous as Shaun. At the same time however, the supernatural aspect of zombie movies makes it easier for it to be over-the-top. Corny and farfetched as most of them are, action films are supposed to be serious and dramatic, leaving slightly less wiggle room for parody. But only slightly; after all, movies such as Die Hard, Bad Boys II, and Commando deserve to be mocked.

That being said, Hot Fuzz is an awesome film. It’s clever and funny, and the cast does a stellar job. Pegg and Frost have great chemistry and perfect comedic timing, while ex-James Bond actor Timothy Dalton is terrific in portraying a creepy but suave supermarket owner. Shaun of the Dead fans will no doubt love it, as will fans of action and cop films. I look forward to Wright’s next film parody.

FUN FACT: Cate Blanchett and Peter Jackson appear in the film in uncredited roles. Blanchett plays Nick’s ex-girlfriend Janine, a forensic investigator. She’s wearing a jumpsuit and a mask over her face. Jackson plays a deranged Father Christmas, and appears in a photo very early on in the film.