A strange mixture of comedy, action and horror, that works for the most part.

Rating: 7/10 (4 October 2008)

Edgar Wright's last film "Shaun of the Dead" was a horror movie, and a comedy, but more than anything it was a comedy. There were tense scenes, but the more often than not, the comedy prevailed. Here, it's hard to tell what the heck this is. It's good, but it's a weird kind of good caught in genre limbo, never really knowing what the heck it is. It's a black comedy at times, and sometimes is as tense an action flick as you could find. Then there's the horror. The shady villain ready to decapitate his or her enemies, but the violent images cause laughter. Where most movies have a consistent mood, like an action-comedy, which is full of shooting, but with a wink to the camera, this jumps around. For 30 minutes straight it will be pure nail biting action with very little comedy, before switching to downright jokey scenes. It's good...just weird.
Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a hotshot cop who does his job well and by the book. He's making all his fellow officers look bad, so they force him to be reassigned to "winner of best village of the year", Sandford. Nick hates how little his fellow officers in Sandford seem to care about anything. He's paired with Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), son of Police Chief Frank Butterman (Jim Broadbent). Things are pretty boring, and are limited to speeding tickets and underage drinking until a series of violent murders occurs. Secrets are revealed, leading to an odd, yet original ending.
Edgar Wright has a fast paced style of direction that looks good but can grow tiring. Some scenes needed to be played out to build suspense, but instead drop the suspense and let the action happen right away. Constant cut to's and flashy quick shots are reminiscent of Joel Schumaker's "masterpiece" "Batman & Robin". This movie really shouldn't be compared to a movie like that though. Even with the flashy direction, this was a fine British flick.
The acting is good. The chemistry is great between Pegg and Frost, who are written quite different from their characters in "Shaun of the Dead". Timothy Olymphant is excellent in the supporting cast, and manages to be constantly both funny and menacing. The cast mostly consists of many English actors that cause people to say, "I've seen their face, don't know where, don't know their name." Several unnamed British actors play backup roles, and they give everyman (or woman) performances that fit in nicely.
Overall, this movie has no genre. It jumps around which doesn't always work. But what does work is the acting and the story. Even if this may cause a slight headache due to quick cuts, it's still a funny and action filled comedy triumph for Edgar Wright.
My rating: *** out of ****. 120 mins. Rated R for strong violence and language.