A Smart, Silly and Genuinely Exciting Tribute to All-American Testosterone in the Movies

Rating: 8/10 (24 April 2007)

Having never seen 2004's "Shaun of the Dead", I didn't know what to expect from director/co-screenwriter Edgar Wright's latest movie, which plays out like an Ealing Studios only-in-Britain comedy amplified on Tarantino-level steroids. The 2007 action farce achieves the impressive feat of being silly and smart, quite often at the same time, as Wright and co-screenwriter Nicholas Pegg show themselves to be cineastes with a sharp eye and nimble ear for satire. There are lots of derivative plot turns to track in this fish-out-of-water story, which shifts into a blazing, gun-toting thriller as a tribute to testosterone-driven, Jerry Bruckheimer-genre buddy movies like "Point Break" and "Bad Boys II". Even the intentionally exploitative title fits the tone of this eminently enjoyable popcorn flick perfectly.
With laser-sharp precision, Pegg stars as a straight-arrow aptly named Nicholas Angel, inarguably the best police officer in London. However, he is so good that he makes the rest of the force look ineffectual, which leads to his unceremonious transfer to a sleepy hamlet named Sandford. There he carries his duties quite seriously, which naturally puts him at odds with the casual townsfolk. But then a suspicious car accident occurs, and the plot escalates into a wild ride of contrived but often hilarious developments leading to an ambitious, cartoon-like series of exciting finales. Angel naturally needs a partner to succeed, and Nick Frost (looking a lot like Mark Addy from "The Full Monty") winningly plays schlubby Danny, a wannabe action hero who happens to be the devoted son of Frank Butterman, the village police chief. Together they uncover a plot that upends the entire community.
There are lots of familiar faces in funny supporting turns - Timothy Dalton at his smarmy best (and looking well prepared to inherit Christopher Plummer's villain roles) as the suspicious supermarket owner; Jim Broadbent as the seemingly benevolent Frank; Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall as a couple of sarcastic, mustachioed detectives; and in bit parts, Bill Nighy and Steve Coogan as a couple of London's befuddled finest and an uncredited Cate Blanchett as Angel's put-upon girlfriend Jeanine conveniently hidden by a forensic mask. The one-liners are funny enough, but what really resonate are the subtle, often throwaway shots that make fun of American movie conventions. Even though the film runs for over two hours, Wright and Pegg have paced the story with a dexterous mix of thrills, intelligence and laughs. Much of this successful hat trick is due to Chris Dickens' propulsive editing and a nifty combination of over-the-top stunts and visual effects. This film is quite an unexpected kick.