Hot Fuzz Reviews

The Wicker Man crossed with Die Hard

I've just got home from seeing an advance preview of the 'eagerly awaited film 'Hot Fuzz'. I've been waiting to see this film ever since I first watched 'Shaun of the Dead', and whilst reading a film magazine in the foyer, I read an article saying they would be making the ultimate English action movie next.

Well... did they? Not 'arf!!!

Its no hidden secret, but I am a Simon Pegg groupie! I think he is a genius. Along side the talents of Edgar Wright and Nick Frost... this team can do no wrong. Having brought to us the unbeatably funny TV Sitcom 'Spaced', and the hilarious and cult hit 'Shaun of the Dead', these guys are just the dogs!

'Hot Fuzz' is about a super city cop (Simon Pegg as Nick Angel), who gets promoted to a quiet little village in the middle of nowhere because his amazing track record is making the rest of the department look bad. Often used to car chases, and the use of fire arms, Nick gets frustrated having to handle this quiet little village... but not all is what it seems.

The story rolls along at a really nice pace, utilising the beautiful mix of editing and sound effects that have become common place in Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg collaborations. The plot is set out in a very similar way to their previous film 'SOTD', and has similar plot twists, but what ain't broken doesn't need fixing! The script is laden with beautiful one liners to tell your mates about, and are real crowd pleasers. I guarantee you'll be quoting this film to death!

The technical side to this film is all what you would expect from the team, good cinematography, great special f/x, unbelievable sound effects, fast and beautifully handled editing. The score by David Arnold is just fantastic, and does this film some real good!

The acting is, as always, spot on from the two leads Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Simon plays it cold and tough, whilst Nick basically recreates a similar character to that of 'SOTD', whom he was born to play. The rest of the film is crammed full of the best of British comedy acting including Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, and Adam Buxton. In the same breath you also have some fantastic actors like Timothy Dalton, Billy Whitelaw, and Edward Woodward all playing wonderful roles.

This film has just so much going on! Its teeming with homage's to some of the greatest action movies ever made, and will need repeat viewing to find them all. They especially love to lampoon their previous film 'SOTD', and these are some of the films funniest moments. You also have some really tense and exciting chase sequences, as well gun battles! The sound effects are just so spot on! You will feel every bullet! What also surprised me about this film was the level of violence and gore! These guys don't hold back! In some cases... this film is gorier than their previous film, and certainly contains more guns!

I can't stop grinning as I write this... its been a long time since a film 'hit the spot' for me, and these boys have done it! Its also been a long time that I have seen a film where everyone laughed, whooped and cheered! It even got a standing ovation at the end! I cant believe I have to wait a whole ten days before I can get back in line to see this again when it opens on the 16th Feb! I would say this film is a cross between 'The Wicker Man' and 'Die Hard', so if that appeals in a weird way... then you can do no wrong seeing this movie.

This really is the film of the year for me, I know that's a little premature... but I would also say it's one of the best films I have ever seen! Don't believe me? Go see this for yourself to decide! This really is the Ultimate English Action Movie!

Funny!

I'm not actually a fan of Shaun of the Dead, I just didn't find it that funny, but this really made me laugh and I recommend it to all.

Simon Pegg plays Nicholas Angel, the Met's top Police Officer, the best at everything. Only he's so good that he's making them look bad so they ship him off to the countryside to a little village in the middle of nowhere. He's still doing everything by the book, which means rounding up all the underage drinkers and glaring at hoodies. His sidekick is Danny, obsessed with Bad Boys II and Point Break, he wants to shoot things while jumping through the air. All goes along nicely until the grisly 'accidents' that keep occurring. Angel thinks they could be linked but no one believes him. Can he crack the case?

This is daft beyond belief, but it knows it. I love Simon Pegg's face throughout it all, totally straight, I don't know how he did it. And of course the uber geek in me loves all the references to other films it does, which is what I loved best about Spaced.

Go watch it when it's out and have a good laugh. It's been ages since a film tickled me so.

Hilarious

A London supercop moves to a village and sees murder where everyone else sees accidents. Everyone plays their parts with such relish it is obvious a lot of fun was had on set. The jokes come thick and fast from the start and don't stop till the epilogue. It's a film that isn't a spoof in the scary movie sense, but never the less it openly acknowledges the films it borrows from. If you liked Shaun of the Dead, if you liked Bad Boys II, if you liked Suburban Shootout, if you like moderately brutal violence used for comic effect, or even if you simply like very funny British comedies, this is for you. However, iIf you enjoyed Rowan Atkinson's Thin Blue Line, you may want to watch something else.

By the power of Greyskull!

An absolutely amazing performance by Simon Pegg. He plays a very serious role in a subtle yet deliberate comedy as Sargeant Nicholas Angel. How he keeps a straight face is beyond me. Nick Frost plays a tag-along soon to become sidekick, who doesn't really know quite why he's there to perfection. The film starts on quite a sombre storyline and gets progressively funnier/sillier as the film goes on.

It's star studded cast all add to the sheer brilliance of the script. There are so many memorable scenes and quotes that still make me chuckle to myself as I recall them. It's a beautiful piece of work that slowly draws you in right up to its side-splitting finale. It's one of those films that deserves viewing after viewing.

SO UNFUNNY

WAS VERY SUPRISED AT HOW POOR THIS WAS. TURNED OFF AFTER 40MINS. IF YOU ARE 16 AND LAUGH AT ANYTHING MIGHT BE OK.

Yarp!

I must say, that from the outset, I was predisposed to love this film. I am a huge fan of Pegg and Wright’s work to date and would rank Spaced as one of the greatest tv programmes of all time. Their previous film Shaun of the Dead was also sublime and propelled itself straight into my top ten films of all time. The zom rom com would make any filmmaker proud, never mind the fact it was a cinematic debut at that. So what of Hot Fuzz? Does it live up to this fevered expectation? Of course it does silly!

Simon Pegg plays Nick Angel, a London super cop who is so good at his job that he makes everyone else seem like incompetent fools. Tired of looking like a bunch of Sven Goran Erikssons, they soon dispatch him to a sleepy Gloucestershire village where he can no longer cause the top brass embarrassment. Before he can say boo to a goose he is knee deep in yolkles and struggling to find any crime of consequence. Out of boredom he soon forms a bond with the bumbling chief of police’s son Danny, played effortlessly by the ever luminous Nick Frost, and they spend their days trying to catch the rogue swan and watching action movies by night. After a spate of gory accidents, supercop’s spider senses are soon tingling and he starts to suspect that there is something rotten in Denmark. Indeed there are sinister forces at work and soon it is like a Poirot mystery having a love child with Scooby Doo, Lethal Weapon and The Wicker Man. Unlike the travesties of unrelenting parody that are Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie, Hot Fuzz is a cleverly constructed murder mystery which winks and nods at a whole host of other films while retaining its very unique identity. What really makes the film tick is the quality of the acting and script from start to finish. The calibre of actor is astounding and plays like a who’s who of British cinema at times, each relishing their brief screen time and looking like they are having a ball. Of note Timothy Dalton who musters up a sinister master class that Dick Dastardly would be proud of. See also if you can spot uncredited cameos from Cate Blanchett and the legendry Peter Jackson! The real heart of the film though is the effortless and instinctive partnership of Frost and Pegg. I don’t think I’ve seen a better on screen duo since Laurel and Hardy. It was an absolute pleasure spending two hours in their company and I can’t wait till June when I can add this to my Spaced and Shaun of the Dead dvds. The only question that remains is what delight are they going to cook up next? I’m sure it will be a slice of fried gold! Yarp.

Genius

This film is a masterpiece of British humour with fantastic performances from all concerned. With enough references to other cult films to keep the office bore happy and some truly hysterically funny moments for the rest of us. I will be braving the cinema a second time to try and catch the bits I missed first time because I was laughing so hard.

One Word

Genius.

That is all I can really say. There are so many subtle points to this film it has to be seen in the cinema and that is the first time I have said this about a comedy.

If only it were my job to see this 7 days a week.

Performances are extravagantly brilliant throughout and I can't wipe the grin off my face two days after seeing it.

If you thought thought Shaun of the Dead was funny, you just may have a cardiac arrest watching this.

Long may this partnership continue.

Hail! Hail!

[Highly rated reviewer]

Hiarious Fuzzy Fun....

This is one very funny comedy. I can hardly fault it, it has an absolute crop of British talent, covers some up to date stuff hilariously . Its just great fun. I have to quantify how much I though of this film, by saying I thought Shaun of the Dead was awful !! If you are thinking of avoiding this for the same reason, Think again...this is the polar opposite, this one is hilarious. There hasn't been a better boys in blue spoof since Peter Sellars in the first Pink Panther... Well worth a watch.

Surprisingly Aweful

As a big fan of both Spaced and Sean of The Dead, I was amazed to hear from some of my friends that this film was a major let down. I was pointed advised to not even bother to give it the time on my tv screen.

Obviously having enjoyed messers Frost/Pegg/Wright previous output I was sceptical that this could be true, but sure enough it was a massive disapointment, and a waste of 116mins of my life.

Unlike the last film and the sit com series, Hot Fuzz misses the point of what a comedy film is about - the jokes! Whilst there are a few amusing moments they rely heavily on one joke (That Simon Pegg is a tough cop forced to work in a quaint village with an oaf for a partner), simple slapstick humour and an over reliance on saying some naughty words.... ohh!

The amazing wit and observational humour that came hard and fast in Spaced and Sean..is severely lacking, but where Hot Fuzz most disappoints is in the real lack of any comedic moments....