Watcha' gonna do when the Fuzz come for you?

Rating: 8/10 (10 March 2007)

Hot Fuzz is undoubtedly the funniest R-rated action comedy, film set in a quaint English village so far. The real question is; could it possibly be the greatest buddy cop film of all time? The genre has become so by-the-numbers of late that it seems ripe for satire. Fortunately writers Simon Penn and Edgar Wright appear to love the source material they delightfully skewer, making references-a-plenty to their predecessors  Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, Point Break and Bad Boys to name a few. However, unlike the painfully dull, teen catering spoof movies (Scary Movie franchise, Epic Movie, Date Movie), the humour is not handled clumsily and neither is the screenplay overloaded with easy jokes and obvious references. Hot Fuzz is that rare movie which manages to satirize while giving the genre a complete overhaul. At times the film reaches Python-like levels of comedic brilliance.
The setup is simple enough: Nick Angel is metropolitan London's top cop. His office is on the streets of the city and business never closes. As a matter of fact he's so good at his job that he singlehandedly outshines his entire department. This does not sit well with his superiors who quickly promote him and pack him off to the sleepy village of Sanford  winner for the last several years of the coveted "Village of the Year" crown. Once here the film begins on an entertaining fish out of water track as we witness Angel's toughest assignments which include a crackdown on underage drinking and capturing an escaped Duck (scene stealer of the year!) Naturally he is reprimanded by his superior officer, Inspector Frank Butterman, played ably by the wonderful Jim Broadbent, who always seems to be too good for the parts he plays. He is formulaic-ally teamed up with the less competent Danny Butterman, whose puppy like enthusiasm and man love for his new partner injects hilarity into the inevitable male bonding moments of the film. Look a little closer though and you'll see how good the satire is. We are never shown Nick Angel's love interest - a metaphor for the fact that the love interest in a buddy cop film is typically unmemorable? Except of course for Téa Leoni in "Bad Boys", but I digress...
All is not what it appears to be in Sanford, naturally. Someone is killing residents of the village and the murders appear to be connected. The rest of the local police service is content to call each case an "accident" and shut the books, but Nick Angel is not convinced. "Sanford hasn't had a murder in over twenty years" he is told, but what of the malicious remarks made by supermarket owner Simon Skinner? (Played by Timothy Dalton obviously having a great time.) Don't worry; I haven't spoiled anything for you. The movie makes the identity of the killer fairly clear from the outset, though you may be surprised by the motive. As with Shaun of the Dead and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, it's the menace used to underscore the humorous screenplay which works effectively by keeping the audience amused and unsettled in turns. A serial killer is at the very least disquieting and each time the viewers settled into the comedy groove of the movie, the writers orchestrated another gruesome "accident". The fate that befalls one plucky reporter is a particularly cringe worthy moment.
The film's biggest laughs come at the climax when the action ventures into the preposterous not simply because of the level of violence (which brings to mind the term 'disproportionate response') but also because of the setting. I loved the "man with no name" reference just prior to the final confrontation which had the audience screaming hysterically at my screening.
Having said all that, a few things did not work for me. The reveal scene in particular lasts a tad too long and while suspension of disbelief is a given with a story like this, the logistics behind the "accidents" are mind-boggling considering Angel keeps such a sharp eye on the town. The odd joke falters and Angel escapes a Mexican standoff too easily. These isolated moments do not detract from one of the most entertaining movie experiences of my life, and the film works really well as a date movie.