Not as good as Shaun of the Dead, but still fun

Rating: 7/10 (23 April 2007)

Kind of a disappointment after Shaun of the Dead, but still worthwhile. It certainly is entertaining, after all. Wright's and Pegg's previous film took on zombie films, this one takes on cop movies. The creators follow much the same formula as they did with Shaun of the Dead: they hit upon all the clichés, but add extra layers to the characters and the situation that allow an audience to appreciate it as more than just a comedy. I just don't think this one is as successful. The friendship (again between Pegg and co-star Nick Frost) is fairly poignant, but the rest of the plot is so silly that the emotions don't register nearly as well. Plus, these characters, unlike Shaun's characters, didn't strike me as real people trapped in an absurd movie plot. They're silly characters, albeit with a little more character than the normal comedy (or cop movie), stuck in a silly movie. Don't get me wrong, though, the film has some hilarious comic moments. The over-the-top climax, which plays like a Sergio Leone film, is a lot of fun, and the solution to the mystery that is presented is especially clever. Once again, Pegg and Frost give wonderful comic performances. A lot of the supporting performances are good, too (unlike Shaun, which has a couple of useless characters and a couple of just plain annoying characters), including Timothy Dalton as a creepy grocery store manager.