Hot Fuzz starts out on the weak tip but picks up steam after about minute 45. It ends with massive chuckles all over the place. If you get nothing else from this review get this: patience pays off here, don’t judge this flick by its opening.
The film is super British, like a Bean level British, and I’d say it’s closest American relative would be something like Reno 911!. But being a little smarter, (and with a ton more shooting) helps push this effort past that one. It also plays things much more serious (like Starsky and Hutch), whereas Reno is more like Police Academy. The story is of a sleepy town called Sandford, an idyllic community where Sergeant Nicholas Angel has been transferred against his will. Angel is a super cop in London, the opening frames of Hot Fuzz show him collaring criminals at the rate in which I’d be consuming donuts were I him. It’s due to his efficiency that he’s asked to leave (he’s making his homies look bad). Billy Nighy and Martin Freeman make a cameo on that front.
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg carry the main reigns here as the male leads; Frost is Danny Butterbean, a policeman who befriends Simon when he arrives. You don’t need to know much past that on the plot front. You should, however, know that the jokes are both admiring and spoofing of action films, specifically the buddy cop genre. Point Break and Bad Boys II are the main targets here, though to be fair the film clearly loves these movies. And really, what’s not to love? It’s a simple formula: laughs plus explosions. Guess what Hot Fuzz delivers? Laughs. Plus explosions. Many of the scenes are cribbed directly from that style of movie, and half the fun is trying to figure out what movie is next up on the imitation wheel. According to director Edgar Wright he and the boys watched endless action films to capture the best aspects and that attention to detail shines through. I’m guessing there were tons of references I didn’t even catch. Maybe we could start a spreadsheet where everyone contributes.
The part that lags in Hot Fuzz is the opening. In retrospect it set up Simon as the “straight man” pretty well but I don’t think it was completely needed. When I interviewed the trio Nick joked that the movie was “20 minutes too long” but he’s actually spot on there. A film like this doesn’t need to rely heavily on plot, just getting to the laughs right off the bat would have been a better strategy. So then, less exposition next time guys.
I’d see this if I were you. It’s a fun Friday night, especially with a buddy or a girlfriend. Hell, maybe even both. It’s got some bawdy violence, but it’s all in good fun so I’d say the teens should sneak in too. Basically Hot Fuzz is pretty hot. I’d vote for a sequel, I want to see even more things get blown up.
