Hot Fuzz Review

Hot Fuzz, Edgar Wright's satirical action comedy that is the second film in his famous Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy.

Hot Fuzz follows Simon Pegg as Sgt. Nicholas "Nick" Angel, the London's police most dedicated cop on the force, or rather the "service," after he is transferred to the seemingly quiet village of Sandford, Gloucestershire. In the village, there have been a series of murders and Nick must solve the case, although the movie is a lot better than it sounds. While Edgar Wright's previous film, Shaun of the Dead, which brilliantly parodied zombie flicks, Hot Fuzz parodies the action and buddy cop genre with an even better effort that contains plenty of satirical wit. In the UK, the word "fuzz" is a common slang word for the police or any other similar authority, and it often has a negative association.

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Genre: Comedy, Action Comedy, Satire, Black Comedy

Release Date: 20 April 2007

Running Time: 121 minutes

MMPA rating: R

The Good: Intelligent parody and satire of action movies and buddy cop flicks, Competent plot, Intriguing mystery element, Memorable quotes, Often hilarious, Fun action scenes, Strong performances, Witty humor, Unique direction by Edgar Wright, Movie references, Pegg and Frost's chemistry is great,

The Bad:

Plot: 9.1/10- Considering that Hot Fuzz is a comedy that is intentionally parodying the crime and mystery genres, the mystery and plot is surprisingly competent.

Among similar crime mystery movies, Hot Fuzz's plot is well written and the mystery is intriguing. Enough information is actually given so that the viewer can figure out the mystery, while also being a smart satire on the genre. At some points, the movie actually feels like a serious, well written mystery with some great humor thrown in.

Characterization: 8.2/10- As with Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead, the two main characters in the film have satisfying character arcs. Nick Angel is a likable protagonist, and his extra dedicated demeanor often results is some great humor.

Action: 7.7/10- Towards the end of the movie, there are several fun action scenes. While some aspects of the action are intentionally comedic, they are entertaining nonetheless.

Acting: 9.2/10- Simon Pegg plays the serious and comedic aspects of the role to perfection! And his chemistry with Nick Frost continues to be a highlight of the film.
As for Frost, his character is more likable than the one in Shaun of the Dead. Other members of the stellar British cast include Timothy Dalton, Martin Freeman, and Bill Nighy, all of which are positively fantastic.

Soundtrack: 7.8/10- Hot Fuzz's score is a lot of fun and fitting for the humor. Also, the licenced music, mostly British rock, is exactly what the movie needed.

Humor: 9.3/10- As stated previously, Edgar Wright's British satirical humor is right up my alley, and Hot Fuzz is full of it. While the movie is not necessarily hilarious all of the time, the jokes rarely miss, especially if you are an action movie fan. Again, the crude is limited to one joke, while the majority of the humor is very smart jokes and a satire of the action genre, which is my type of humor. Also, the movie is rated R for a reason, and the deaths in the movie are gruesome with plenty of blood, almost to comedic extent, providing you have a sick sense of my humor like myself.
Humor Percentage
Hilarious: 40%
Very Funny: 50%
Mildly Funny: 7%
Not Funny: 3%

Entertainment Value: 9.4/10- From beginning to end, Hot Fuzz entertained me throughly. When I was not laughing, I was intrigued by the mystery, there was not a dull moment in the film.

Overall: 9.0/10- Overall, Hot Fuzz is an intelligent and often humorous action comedy that also has one of the best and most competent plot of any comedy. Edgar Wright's is a genius when it comes to comedy and satire, and Hot Fuzz is his best work to date.

Closing comments: As with Shaun of the Dead, if you are not a fan of Edgar Wright's British humor, you will likely not enjoy Hot Fuzz. On the other hand, if it is your thing, Hot Fuzz should be a blast!

Recommended for: Action fans, Action comedy fans, Satire fans, British humor fans, Simon Pegg fans, Black Comedy fans,

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