‘Hot Fuzz’: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson Get Guns
Hot Fuzz, released last weekend and currently in 6th place, has gained $5.85 million in revenue and continues to climb the box office. For those who have not been previously exposed to the works the brilliant “British duo” of Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, I would say you’re about to have two new favorite movies. Pegg and Frost’s previously released Shaun of the Dead has gained much success across the world gaining $30 million worldwide at the box office. Shaun of the Dead is a romantic, comedy, zombie, film that is non-stop comedy and horror. The romantic back story is minuscule and almost irrelevant; in other words, it’s definitely not a chick flick. For those who have been exposed to British humor from such works as the Monty Python films, and of course my favorite, the Mr. Bean series; then you already know the humor is dry, witty, and involves much thought process.
The goal of Hot Fuzz, described by Wright on G4TV’s Attack of the Show, is to make a British cop very cool, and make the British cop have a level of bad-ass-ary. The story involves a stereotypical cop named Nicholas Angel (Pegg), who is obsessed with serving up a nice cup of justice to all violators of the law. Angel is originally a cop in London who has outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted all the other police in the city. Due to his success he is forced to go to Sandford, a small countryside village attempting to receive an award in perfection as the “Safest Village in England”. All the while, there are obscure deaths occurring throughout the village which are being characterized as “accidents”. Angel is later joined by Danny Butterman (Frost in his usual role of large oaf) who is believed to be a bystander but, is later discovered to be the Inspector’s son. The two team up after watching and constantly referencing cop and crime movies like Point Break and Bad Boys II. Butterman decides to focus up to take police work seriously and Angel returns to his normal strict “way of the law” after they prove a conspiracy theory. The proof of a conspiracy dispels all deaths as not being accidents but, more likely being homicides.
As always, the punchline is always spot on and the joke development is great. Stylistically, it’s like watching a great action movie like Sin City, but with the character development and plot involving unique ideas that could only come from the writing of Pegg. The only downside to this movie is that the beginning is too long. Also, the trailers and other promotional materials make it seem that Hot Fuzz is an action heavy film, which it is, but only towards the last four-five minutes. Every other aspect of the movie was great. This genre is very original to the U.K. but a common one here in the states. The actual fuzz in the movie are all great actors from England. Definitely look out for my favorite chatacters, “The Andy’s”, because of their false dedication to being detectives, the directness of their jokes, and of course, the fact that they throw buckets at people who annoy them.
Final vote: 8/10. Rent or buy Shaun of the Dead on DVD now, and go see Hot Fuzz in theaters.
