American filmmakers take note - This is a hysterical parody done right

Rating: 8/10 (24 April 2007)

When I first heard about Shaun of the Dead in 2004, I was a bit skeptical. It sounded intriguing, but so many parodies had come and gone and very little of them were actually good. So when I randomly went and saw the flick, I was more than just impressed. I was ecstatic. It was a breath of fresh air, and a very funny movie. And when I picked up the DVD, it only got better.
So when I first heard they were going to do a parody of the buddy cop/action genre, I got a little excited. And after seeing it, I can say that the excitement was well warranted.
Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a by-the-books veteran police officer in London. He lives for stopping crime, and works non-stop. But the devoted officer is not so well liked by his peers, who, for lack of better terminology, are looking particularly terrible in comparison to him. So the higher-ups (which include a very amusing Bill Nighy) decide that something must be done, and send him to a small village with a non-existent crime rate. Here, his skills are seemingly wasted, and his action-movie obsessed partner, Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) is a bit too eager to hear about his high speed, shoot-'em up days in London. But when a bizarre string of accidents begin to occur, Angel becomes a little suspicious of the quaint village, and begins to attempt an investigation.
Yes, it sounds a bit more complicated than Shaun, but is it as much fun?
Just about.
Pegg and his co-writer/director Edgar Wright have composed what is probably the funniest and most honest parody of American action films  and it was not even made in America. Everything from the awkward partnership, the homoerotic tension, the friendly supporting characters who do not appear to be all that they seem, a ridiculous villain, overbearing Neanderthal-esquire henchmen, and more, are all on display and are each given at least one moment to shine during the film. Think of every cliché and every element that makes action movies action movies, and you will have a pretty accurate description of what you will find in Hot Fuzz.
The writing is sharp and quick-witted. Just as fast paced as the editing, you may find it hard to catch everything these characters are throwing at each other. You will either be laughing far too hard from the line before, or it will just come and go so fast that you will sit and think "What did he say?" Every line comes off excellently, and the nods and homages to other films' dialogue is just so subtle that it may go completely unnoticed. They just work it in that well. Much like Shaun, the pair use the elements given from the films they are parodying, but they use these elements lovingly, and sparingly. They make the material their own, and use it in a very fresh way (unlike the classless American parody films like Date Movie and Hostel where they basically rip scenes directly out of other films, without making any changes, and call them parodies).
As said previously, the editing is very fast paced. Scenes just come and go briskly. Wright has a very observant eye, and ensures that just about every detail is packed into his scenes. Unfortunately, the fast paced editing does not stay consistent. There is a very large dry spell in the middle of the film that just slows the film right down, and to a point, over analyzes a bit too much. Even more unfortunate is the fact that most of these scenes only have a few snickers or giggles that come out (from people who either think the line is really funny, or understand which film is being parodied), and nothing much else. I felt the same way when I first saw Shaun back in 2004 (although the former film also felt more consistent during these types of scenes), but felt it improved on further viewings. I can only hope that I will feel the same way when I see this film again.
Pegg is absolutely hysterical. Although he is nowhere near as much of a buffoon as he was with his Shaun character, he still has the same lovable tendencies, and the same crazy attitude. He brings a certain enigmatic flair to his scenes, and his on screen presence is simply unmatched by just about anyone. Yes, his humour is dry, but it is a lot less British and much more on the brink between British and American. He plays his character along this brink for the entirety of the movie, and even when he is at his most serious, you cannot do anything but laugh.
Much the same can be said for Frost, who gives another rousing performance as the even more lovable sidekick. His lines are even funnier than Pegg's, and his goofy work here helps offset the dead-pan seriousness of Pegg. While Pegg was just as good as he was in Shaun, I think Frost was a lot more downplayed and not as strong as he could have been. Despite that, his work here is still very good, and still very ahead of anyone in American parodies.
The all-star supporting cast including Nighy, Martin Freeman, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, and Paddy Considine, are all very well acted, and are side-splittingly funny. Many of them do not get nearly as much screen time as they deserve, but their material is felt throughout.
While it is not as good as Shaun, Hot Fuzz is still a very funny movie. I was a little surprised with how very violent the film is, but it only adds to how accurately portrayed the action genre is in the film. If you want to see parody done right, or if you just want a great time at the movies, than this is a definite must-see.
8/10.