Hot Fuzz (2007)

The same cast and crew that delivered us the zombie/living dead spoof, Shaun of the Dead, brings us a cop drama/action spin off. Hot Fuzz takes from almost every action adventure movie about the law that you could possibly think of. It, of course, adds its’ own over the top moments to help develop the comedy aspect of it.

Top cop Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) of the London Metropolitan Police Force (uh, I mean Police Service) is transferred, against his will, from the high crime streets of the city of London to the peaceful, not much going on, little village of Sanford. He is partnered up with PC (that stands for Police Constable) Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) who, along with the rest of the Sanford Police, hasn’t seen much action due to the quiet and subdued state of the town that they patrol. Angel struggles to fit in until he comes across a few deaths that have been determined to be “accidents” which has his police gut telling him that all may not be what it seems in silent Sanford.

Director Edgar Wright wrote the script along with the film’s main actor, Simon Pegg. He said it contains elements from his last amateur film, Dead Right. It also takes a funny moment out the two’s previous film, Shaun of the Dead. The quick cut scenes and sound effects pay homage to the super action films that have come in the past. In addition to this, there is no skimping on the blood and gore facet as well. The on-going ratching and reloading sounds that occur from scene to scene are only a taste of the “funny” that this movie brings the audience.

The hilarious one liner’s and random occurrences in the film add to the exaggeration of police action movies. In addition to the comedy and action, it plays slightly on the fact that some police officer’s have the trouble of separating their work from their home life and how that may affect them. Another aspect contained in practically every cop drama that we have seen before.

Although you go into this one getting almost everything that you were expecting, it is still quite entertaining. If you go into it looking forward to a comedy that won’t use the over the top aspect to get laughs, then you’ll be disappointed. It’s a spoof, so it does exactly what it is meant to do. I give Hot Fuzz “3.5 different reasons to laugh at police officers out of 5”.

“Sergeant Butterman, the little hand says it's time to rock and roll!”