Ruttle's Reviews: The Archives

Britain Gone Bad

"Hot Fuzz" (2007)
Directed by: Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton
Running time: 121 minutes
Rut's Rating: 4/5

Hard-nosed London police officer Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is a man always on the lookout for crime. A keen eye with an impressive arrest and conviction record, he is seen as a threat to the other low-profile, ho-hum members of the force and is sent to the quaint, sleepy little village of Sandford, where he is paired with a bumbling partner named Danny Butterman, played by Nick Frost. When a series of grisly "accidents" begin to claim the lives of village residents, Angel and Butterman take it to the streets and investigate what they believe could be murder.
"Hot Fuzz" is the latest film from the trio of director Edgar Wright, and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. These three brought us the instant classic "Shaun of the Dead", and fans of that film would definitely take a liking to this one. What they did for the zombie-flick genre in "Shaun" they do for the over-the-top action-movie genre in "Fuzz". The film is brilliantly written and you can tell that director Wright and actors Pegg and Frost are big fans of explosive, gun-toting action. As well, Pegg and Frost have that same great chemistry we saw in "Shaun of the Dead", a sort-of Abbott and Costello relationship. Frost's portrayal of Danny Butterman is believable and hilarious; the innocent, puppy-like enthusiast and the perfect opposite for the no-nonsense Nicholas Angel. Danny's love of gunfights and action movies, ("Bad Boys II", in particular) are dismissed by Angel as a childlike fantasy, but that may soon turn to reality when they investigate the supposed "accidents" happening around town.
The main suspect that Angel and Butterman investigate is grocery store owner Simon Skinner, played by Timothy Dalton. The former James Bond has fun with the role, and is a good choice in casting a possible murderer. As well, the legendary Bill Nighy (you know him as Captain Davy Jones from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films) has a neat cameo as the Chief Inspector of Angel's former precinct in London. It seemed to me that all the actors were actually enjoying being in this film, which is a rare thing in Hollywood these days, with all the over-wraught promotion, studio deals and lucrative contracts. These people just got together and made a movie that is entertaining, funny, and very well done. It actually seems to come off as a bigger-budget version of a student film, because of the laid-back-yet-dedicated feeling of it, instead of just some A-listers phoning it in.
There also just seems to be something about British humor that is so appealing to North American audiences. Growing up on Monty Python and Mr. Bean may have helped, but after watching a movie like "Hot Fuzz", something mainstream and undeniably American just doesn't seem AS funny as it was before. You laugh, but it's not a hearty put-your-whole-face-into-it sort of laugh. Writers and directors could learn a few things from these talented Brits; maybe something like Saturday Night Live would be funny again if these guys took a turn writing and directing sketches.
If the combination of great action & comedy is your thing (it's OK, raise your hand, it's my thing too), then "Hot Fuzz" is just for you. In an age of mainstream movies with A-list celebrities who like to think they're funny, this one actually IS.