Brilliant once again

Rating: 9/10 (8 August 2007)

It's no secret that film parodies tend to be boring and disposable, partly because they don't have any ideas of their own and partly because they lack any true familiarity with or affection for their source material. Coming from a style that generally has so little to offer, the visually and verbally brilliant movies of the English creative team of Simon Pegg (writer-actor) and Edgar Wright (writer-director), along with actor Nick Frost, are a glorious exception to the rule. And coming off the underground success of the wildly enjoyable zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, Pegg, Wright, and Frost are back with Hot Fuzz, a more conventionally action-oriented romp that still manages to be every bit as hilarious, innovative, and bloody as its predecessor.
Much like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz is as much homage as parody, drawing inspiration from buddy comedies, Hollywood action schlock, and mystery thrillers without ever descending into a tired rehash of any of those genres. Sure, the clichés of the styles it sends up are lovingly embraced throughout, but always with a wink and a nod, along with an obvious knowledge of the conventions the movie is drawing from. Even more impressive is the way the movie effortlessly maintains its momentum through constant shifts in tone. Slapstick, dry British wit, high-speed action and (moderately) heavy drama are all commingled so seamlessly it's easy not to notice, and even in the movie's most dramatic moments Pegg and Wright prove masterful at throwing in a joke to keep things from getting too serious.
While its twist-laden plot is pretty interesting, Hot Fuzz is driven mainly by the pitch-perfect chemistry (both comedic and dramatic) of Pegg and Frost in the lead roles as Nick Angel and Danny Butterman, an odd-couple pairing of cops who get partnered up in a bucolic English village. Pegg makes a brilliant straight man as the initially humorless and straight-laced Nick, while Frost provides comic relief as the overweight, arrested development-gripped buffoon, but one of the most impressive aspects of the movie is how its two principals manage to transcend one-dimensional types and emerge as fully fleshed-out characters. Even with all the mayhem and hilarity going on around them, the offbeat relationship between Nick and Danny keeps the proceedings firmly grounded in reality.
Aside from a few madcap set pieces, the movie's pacing is actually rather drawn-out and deliberate, but Wright still directs it with his signature high style, filled with jarring edits, repetitive tics, and some gory money shots that must be seen to be believed. There aren't a lot of directors out there whose work is instantly recognizable--Wes Anderson is a notable exception, and David Fincher comes pretty close--but Wright is quickly forcing his way into that club. The combination of Wright's directorial flair and the intelligence of the script is more than enough to make Hot Fuzz a worthy successor to Shaun of the Dead in the Pegg-Wright-Frost catalogue. I'm already joyfully anticipating their next effort.