If this isn't the funniest movie of the year, that means we'll have to look forward to another movie as laugh-out-loud hysterical as this one.

Rating: 10/10 (1 July 2007)

Comedy has always been my favorite genre. My sense of humor covers a wide variety of films, and I'll laugh at almost anything, regardless of how stupid, or silly it is. But once in a while a truly great comedy comes along, and leaves an amazing lasting effect with the laughs. While some comedies have you leave the theater saying "that was funny," and then forgetting about it the next day, Hot Fuzz always hits it's comedic mark, and when you leave the theater, you'll want to quote it endlessly, and bring your friends to see it again. It will have you laughing for days.
The plot revolves around Sgt. Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), who's police work goes unrivaled in London. As a result, he is transferred to a small village in the country, Sanford, which is statistically the safest village in England. Not much for a hard-boiled cop to do there. The police station is full of cops so lazy and inept, that when people start getting killed in a variety of gruesome ways, they conclude that they were unfortunate accidents. Only Angel's clueless, action-starved partner, Danny (Nick Frost), believes that Angel may be on to something. And as in all murder mysteries, things aren't exactly what they seem...
Hot Fuzz is a flawlessly written comedy, with non-stop jokes, gags, and one-liners, delivered at such a rapid pace, there is literally no way to catch every one on the first viewing. I've seen the film four times now, and each time, I've caught some hysterical subtle gag that I missed the previous time. While many comedies don't stand up well to repeated viewings, Hot Fuzz keeps getting better each time I view it. There seems to be an unlimited amount of priceless comedy and detail in this film, and that you could watch it a hundred times and notice something you missed each time.
Now, as good as it works as a comedy, Hot Fuzz strangely works as an engaging action/mystery in it's own right. While the action and mystery is entirely satirical and played for laughs, the story actually manages to keep you guessing and wondering what's going to happen next. There is a plot twist that actually managed to effectively surprise me. I don't know what surprised me more. The twist, or the fact that the twist was actually thrilling. The third act action sequences are also quite adrenaline-pumping, and feature some of the coolest (and loudest) gunfights in a long time. It's good to have some legitimate suspense and coolness with your laughs, and this film perfectly combines them. Though the first two acts focus on the murder mystery with almost no action, the last act completely makes up for it. You'll leave the theater laughing your ass off and feeling like you've just had a perfect fix of action.
The performances are also great, and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have excellent chemistry. It is clear that these guys are the best of friends in real life. And the British accents are surprisingly clear and easy to understand. And Timothy Dalton stole the show for me as Simon Skinner, a sinister business owner who has "criminal" written all over him. Every time he showed up on screen, I bust up laughing more than anyone else in the theater.
Hot Fuzz is without a doubt going to end up being the funniest movie of the year. It is comedic writing at it's finest, and is a great movie in it's own right. I couldn't recommend it more, and give it 10/10.
Hot Fuzz is rated R for violent content including some graphic images and for language. Sex- 2/10 Violence- 9/10 Swearing- 7/10 Drugs- 4/10