Not quite as satisfying as "Shaun of the Dead"

Rating: 7/10 (10 April 2008)

For those who don't know, this film reunites the key personnel behind "Shaun of the Dead" and attempts to do for 'buddy' cop movies what "Shaun" did for horror flicks.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are teamed up again and they demonstrate the same comedic chemistry that was at the core of "Shaun of the Dead". The support's a little bit better this time around, too, with Jim Broadbent and Timothy Dalton particularly memorable in their respective roles.
The writing is witty and shows a keen observational eye for the genre that's being parodied. Lazier screenwriters would have simply stuck to parodying recognizable movie scenes but this film mostly just accentuates it's own story with stock genre clichÃ©s. Unfortunately, I feel that they do this a little too well in the last half hour or so of the film, which is just as insufferable as a typical prolonged action extravaganza from any number of bloated action films.
The direction by Edgar Wright effectively captures the feel of the type of movie that this film parodies. Again, it's not so much about recognizable visuals but more of a case of new material that retains a distinct 'feel'. There are some nifty music choices as well.
All in all, this is a pretty good film but to me it starts to drag towards the end. At that point the action seems just as vapid as any other cookie cutter action flick. If your tastes gravitate to that sort of movie then you will probably not share my complaint.