22 Feb 07
Hot Fuzz Film
From the men behind Shaun of the Dead, comes police action/comedy film Hot Fuzz.
Nicholas Angel, (Simon Pegg) is the finest cop London has to offer, with an arrest record 400% higher than any other officer on the force. After making his fellow officers look bad, his superiors (Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman, and Steve Coogan), send him to the sleepy and seemingly crime-free village of Sandford.
He is partnered with a well-meaning but overeager police officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). However, as a series of grisly accidents rocks the village, Angel is convinced that Sandford is not what it seems and as the intrigue deepens!
It's alright, Andy! It's just bolognaise!
Cue fast car chases, gun fights, explosions, and the liberal use of swearing, blood and guts that you found in Shawn of the Dead.
The film is an extremely worthy second outing for the Pegg-Wright writing team, and is certainly the best British comedy film since Shawn of the Dead. Hot Fuzz is Midsummer Murders with Bad Boys 2 shoved on the end. Although a little slow in places, and could maybe need a few minor trims to keep the pace, but ultimately it does what it says on the tin- it makes you laugh. British film, (and particularly British comedy films), have been a dying breed of late, and after Sex Lives of the Potato Men and Confetti, Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are the only shining lights. The Wallace & Gromit movie, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, has a very similar feel to this, although Hot Fuzz certainly isn't a family friendly film.
The film has a veritable who's who of British comedy, with Bill Bailey, Stephen Merchant, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan, Jim Broadbent, Adam Buxton, Olivia Colman, Julia Deakin, and Kevin Eldon.
So far the cop comedy has taken £5.9m, and gone straight to the top of the UK and Ireland box office charts. Not bad for a British film at all. The film is due to be released in the US on April 20th. For me, the film editing was simply superb and follows in the style of Shawn of the Dead, and Spaced- not surprising when Editor Chris Dickens has been at the controls of the Final Cut Pro.
I really enjoyed the film, so did the girlfriend, although we both agreed that it wasn't nearly as satisfying as we felt it should have been. That said, its pretty safe to say that it will be the best British comedy film you will see this year.