I had heard mixed reports about Hot Fuzz and being a bit of a fan of Simon Pegg I was quite intrigued to see what it was like. I think I was expecting an out and out comedy, which it is not. However it is a very entertaining if totally daft film that is well worth watching - although perhaps only once!
The main character is a police officer called Nicholas Angel (played by Pegg). At the beginning of the film he is working for the Met and it seems that he is a bit too exuberant in his job and making arrests as he is putting all of the other officers to shame. This has earned him a promotion but only in the quiet village of Sandford in Gloucestershire where no crimes ever seem to occur - or do they?
Although reluctant to go, once he arrives in the village, Angel sets about his work with enthusiasm sweeping up underage drinkers and intoxicated drivers. This does not go down at all well with all the other laid back members of the constabulary who are very happy just to sit on their backsides eating cake all day! It also seems that everyone knows everyone else in the village and all their business - something that the newly arrived sergeant finds a little unnerving!
I'm not going to give too much of the plot away, but before long there seem to be a lot of unexplained accidents occurring. Angel thinks this has to be more than coincidence but no one else wants to listen. His only possible ally is his sidekick PC Danny Butterman played by Nick Frost. As the film progresses there are many bizarre twists and turns in this totally zany plot.
There are a fantastic array of village characters - all laid back and gossip mongering. They are very much of a stereotypical backward rural ilk meaning this film would probably not win any prizes for political correctness! They were a fun set of characters though and were what you would probably expect in such a daft film.
I really liked Simon Pegg in this film and he would give Martin Freeman a run for his money if there were a competition for totally bewildered faces! There was a really interesting bunch of cameo roles with appearances from the aforementioned Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Bill Baily, Edward Woodward, Timothy Dalton and Jim Broadbent to name but a few. Some of these appearances were quite brief though so you could almost blink and miss them!
I did enjoy this film although it was not the sort of laugh out loud film that I was expecting. I think on reflection though it was funnier than I first thought and although I don't think I'll watch it again, I suspect that if I did I would find things to laugh at that I missed the first time around!
I watched the two disc special edition which has got tons of extras including twenty two deleted scenes - that could almost have been another film with all those that they cut out! There are also fout audio commentaries and some very funny outtakes which are definitely worth watching.
Overall this is a funny and original film that is definitely worth watching but I would hardly call it a classic.
At the moment it can be bought on Amazon for £7.97.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2007 - Action/Adventure - Director: Paul Greengrass - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, Edgar Ramirez, David Strathairn, Paddy Considine, Albert Finney
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
I'm sorry for the H, but for this to be a full DVD review, I would prefer to see a review of the extras in the same detail as your review of the film, not just a brief mention of them.
A major British hit, a lorryload of laughs and some sparkling action? Well have some of ... more
that. Its fair to say thatHot Fuzzproves that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wrights brilliantShaun Of The Deadwas no one-off, serving up a superbly crafted British homage t...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
A major British hit, a lorryload of laughs and some sparkling action? Well have some of ... more
that. Its fair to say thatHot Fuzzproves that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wrights brilliantShaun Of The Deadwas no one-off, serving up a superbly crafted British homage t...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Messers Pegg and Frost return with this rollickingly hilarious take on the cop action ... more
movie. Top London cop Constable Nicholas Angel (Pegg) finds himself reassigned to the sleepy West Country village of Sandford. The quaintness is soon to be interrup...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![Hot Fuzz (2 Disc Special Edition) [2007] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78050421.jpg "Hot Fuzz (2 Disc Special Edition) [2007] [DVD]")
Jan 17th, 2009
(May 31st, 2009)
very helpful by (97%):
helpful by (3%):
