Unmissable

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2007)

~Plot/Writing/Direction~ Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the most outstanding officer in the Metropolitan Police Service. His arrest record is 400% higher than any of his colleagues. In fact, he's so good that his superiors (Bill Nighy, Steve Coogan and Martin Freeman) re-assign him. They send him off to Sandford, a little village in the South-West of England where nothing remotely exciting ever happens. But it isn't long before Angel has to contend with gruesome murders and strange townsfolk.
This film is mocking the typical American action film by being set in a small village in the English countryside. It is a clear cross between The Wicker Man, and all of those buddy-cop films (with a pinch of horror, too). There are numerous films which Hot Fuzz parodies, or makes (in)direct references to, including; The Munsters, Dirty Harry, Chinatown, The Omen, An American Werewolf in London, Masters of the Universe, Die Hard, Bad Boys, Point Break, Lethal Weapon, Crocodile Dundee, Jurassic Park, Judge Judy, and even the team's earlier film, Shaun of the Dead. So, as a send up of all of these big budget American thrillers, it's fantastic viewing. The comedy and dialogue between the two central characters is brilliant, and the one-liners are purposefully (but wonderfully) cheesy. The story eventually builds to one of the most unbelievable climaxes in an action film for years, and it's simply unmissable.
~Cast~ Flawless. What's great about this film, as well as everything else, is that it's full of familiar faces. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are excellent yet again, providing a good contrast to one another. Their back-up is superb in the form of screen veterans Jim Broadbent, Edward Woodward, Timothy Dalton (who must be the highlight of the film for me), Billie Whitelaw, Paul Freeman, and numerous others. And they're all put to tremendously good use in the explosive final-third of the picture.
~Music~ Most of the film is full to the brim with songs from the likes of Adam Ant, the Kinks, Supergrass, Arthur Brown, the Fratellis, Dire Straits, T. Rex and the Troggs. But in-between is a good effort from Bond-composer David Arnold. He succeeds particularly in the action sequences towards the end of the film, and notably works in themes which are reminiscent of classic Westerns and cop films while maintaining a modern, techno-sound.
~Summary~ I think this film has a very wide appeal, but it is people who can spot the references and appreciate the casting of the supporting characters who will enjoy it the most. It's laugh-out-loud funny, but is far more than your run-of-the-mill action-comedy. It's witty, clever, and the final third of the film left me speechless. If you didn't/don't catch it at the cinema, it's a shame. But if you don't catch it on DVD either, you don't know what you're missing.