Funny Despite the Unnecessary Gore

Rating: 6/10 (18 July 2008)

THE PLOT: A very proficient police officer finds himself being relocated to a small English village that he has no interest going to. Here he finds the citizens to be endearingly quirky and the police force incompetently run. He also runs into a rash of grizzly murders committed by a strange hooded figure that looks almost like the grim reaper.
THE POSITIVE: The first hour of the film is fun and filled with a lot of dry British wit. The townspeople are amusing with all of their quirks and idiosyncrasies. It is also fun to see the main character (Pegg) who is so very rigid with his philosophy and approach to police work relate to these townspeople who have no problem bending the rules a little when it is convenient. His friendship with his police partner, who is the complete opposite of him, is nice as is there banter. You can tell there is a genuine bonding between the two actors. The massive shootout at the end, which involves just about the whole town, is outrageously hilarious. It is great to see old British pros given some nice juicy character bits including Whitelaw, Woodward, and most of all Dalton who does indeed still 'have it'.
THE NEGATIVE: The murders are extremely gory and seem more on par with an 80's slasher film. The production seems still locked into the formula of their earlier project SHAWN OF THE DEAD were gore and violence seemingly have to be infused into the story to make it funny even though it really isn't necessary. The second half takes a wildly over the top twist that blows everything out of proportion and loses much of its charm. The pace moves too quickly and doesn't allow the viewer any time to even catch their breath. The film also features one of those modern day 'double' endings that is both needless and pointless.
THE LOWDOWN: The humor has a nice mix to it so all ages should find it funny. Some of the action is crazy enough and over the top enough to stay with you afterwards.
THE RATING: 6 out of 10.