Shoot 'em Up and Laugh it Out - Expect the Best of Both

Rating: 10/10 (12 April 2007)

Too many comedies these days make me groan instead of laugh, and I have started thinking perhaps it is only that I am older. I know after seeing this film that is not the case. We have all seen many recycled ideas just go on and on. These guys give us time-tested ideas with a fresh perspective. Shaun of the Dead marked a new standard for comedy and Hot Fuzz continues the trend. Pegg and Frost (and Edgar Wright) are fans of their genres and make a point of pointing it out without winking at us all the way through, and many fan-filmmakers ought to take heed. I feel appropriately nudged along, not shoved into a "here we go again," because we do not go again. Sharp, witty dialogue and carefully placed plot devices sparkle, edged with spit-fire editing that assures the rapid pace we crave. There are also some very different twists that may not be too surprising, but the punches are definitely spot on whether you see them coming or not. It is not a satire per se, rather, there is plenty of satirical material sprinkled to accentuate the inherent absurdity of most action films. But there is some pleasure that can be derived from such absurdities, and the filmmakers give us this at face value. They love the "craft" of police bang 'em ups, and they honorably emulate them in a way I have never seen in the genre itself. In other words, I relate more with Police Sergeant Nicholas Angel and cannot "turn it off," but as he learns to, so do I. I am taken along so fluidly without even caring that nothing needs to make too much sense because I know there are times when it's better if it doesn't. I am not a fan of routine action movies, but if I enjoyed this film as much as I did, I can only imagine what this film will do for true "die-hards" like the filmmakers themselves. Some may feel a bit off for laughing at some of the terrors, but it's all part of the fun. Get outside your element, or revel in it, whichever it happens to be for you. There's something in the seemingly quiet burg of Sanford for everyone.