Saw the new Star Trek film last night...... awesome!
Saw the new Star Trek film last night...... awesome!
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Never really been a fan of Simon Pegg at all, not watched Spaced, the first thing that I ever saw him in was Shaun of the Dead. I had bought the DVD in the HMV sale and was immediately hooked on what the actor could do. Hot Fuzz continues that approach as the film is made by the same writers as Shaun of the Dead. Although Pegg is the key focus in the film, it is the vast British acting talent that he has surrounded himself with that makes the film enjoyable and gives it an extra depth to watch.
The plot starts out as a simple yet quite unfriendly situation. PC Nicholas Angel has been given a one time opportunity to relocate to the village of Sandford in the West Country. He really has no choice about this as his superiors feel that as Angel is an exemplary officer of the highest calibre in the Metropolitan Police Force, he is unwillingly making a mockery of the other officers who aren't getting the same results as Angel. With Angel recently split from long term girlfriend the officer reluctantly has no choice but to go. Upon arrival at Sandford Police Station, PC Angel discovers that the village hasn't had a crime reported in some time and this in turn has made the local Constabulary somewhat relaxed in their state of mind. This is something that Angel is disgusted with and starts to realise that something is definitely wrong. When strange things start to happen around the village with well known people being killed via accidents that appear to be convenient in nature PC Angel starts to get curious and with the help of Danny Butterman starts to uncover the mysteries of Sandford.
Having actually worked in the Metropolitan Police as part of the IT Department, it was interesting
to hear the name Sandford being used in the film as this is a fictional place that was created by the Police Force when role plays are performed, so it gives some idea of the details that the writers Edgar Wright, also Director, and Simon Pegg actually went to with there background investigations when writing the script. In fact it is this attention to detail that you see throughout the film as Wright has polished up almost every shot without the film losing itself at all.
There are a number of scenes that some will find gory, there are a number of scenes that show various traumas. With these being presented in the way they are they are quite shocking to start off with, but you do tend to realise that it was necessary to have these in the story, to which ultimately they do act as a foundation for the story to move forward as well as to add more mystery to the plot. Besides once I watched the film a few times I thought they were quite funny rather than gruesome.
This is an action film with a number of fast paced sequences that are relevant to the story without losing the focus, bit intertwined with this structured is a whodunit, and the fusion of these two genres brings a refreshing and revitalised dimensional product that the person watching it will be entertained by. All the characters are fleshed out and have a purpose, this is something that with a cast of over 15 main characters was something that I thought would bring the film down, however it has been done in such a way that everyone has something to deliver to the film and each person has a memorable part to play in the story. This brings me to the cast of the film, and I have to say what a cast we have for this one.
Pegg looks the best that we have seen him in a film, he looks fit and well presented and looks a lot better without he beard as well. Teamed up with Pegg is Nick Frost who plays Danny Butterman. Frost is the same in every thing he does, playing the same role as with most films he stars with Pegg as the person who needs to find himself. The two work well together on screen and it is a delight to see the rapid chat between these two play out as the film goes on.
Notable screen actors and actresses have been bought together by Wright and Pegg to form a veritable explosion of talent on screen. First up we have Timothy Dalton as Simon Skinner, the Manager of the supermarket. Edward Woodward as the Neighbourhood Watch Warden, Billy Whitelaw as the Hotel Manager. What has been accomplished here is that well known actors have been cast to give the film so major oomph and clout. This works on all levels as you have Paul Freeman from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Jim Broadbent. The vast acting talent makes Hot Fuzz a film that adds a superior touch of class to it overall. I personally was surprised as to the cast list as it does genuinely read as a Who's Who of acting. Add in cameos from Bill Nighy, Steve Coogan, Martin Freeman and even an unrecognisable Cate Blanchett then the film is a leviathan of names. Of course not mentioning the person who played Santa Claus in the opening scene, but he had just directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy!
Throughout the film you really do get an idea that this is a movie version of Cluedo and that the simple task of Angel will be to find the killer, and how they did it. Cleverly the plot gives this false sense and with the addition of a number of ploys, diversions and twists the film evolves in a very surprising way that I won't spoil.
The locations used in the film are beautifully shot; the town of Wells in Somerset was used as the main setting of the High St, which sets off the story very well. Although it is surprising to find out that the supermarket in the film was actually in Hounslow!
One thing I have to say about Wrights direction is that he just gives you enough of a situation for you to make an assumption, it is obvious that the way the scene has been shot that he wants you to make this assumption, a good example of this is the arrival of Angel in Sandford itself. As it is night the village is quiet you there is something that is decidedly creepy about the place and something that you just cannot put your finger on. This in turn makes you as the viewer very curious to keep on watching, it's something that I don't see much in films these days and something that shows just how much care and effort has been given towards the production of Hot Fuzz.
If you can get hold of the 2 disc edition then do so as the film has a sizeable amount of extras that will satisfy anyone who likes this film. The extras last for over seven hours and contain everything from 22 Deleted Scenes to Making of Documentaries. Along with four commentary tracks, and a 10 minute Outtake reel that really does show how swearing can be put to good use. Right down to a granular level where you can see PC Butterman's Flick Book in a 19 second clip, these extras do entertain and in fact can be watched a number of times and with the addition of the storyboards on the disc give an interesting insight, and every time you watch these you'll see something different that you never saw before.
Overall I really enjoyed this film and thought it was better than the previous Zombie movie as well, as the film was multi-dimensional with the snappy dialogue and the basic concept of a man being ousted out of his comfort zone to a new place where his skills have to be effectively recalibrated to fit in and although part comedy, action film and whodunit. The balance of all three areas is appropriate without going overboard and dragging the film down for a wrong reason and will take you through nearly every emotion possible by the time the credits role.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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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
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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 3 to 6 weeks...
![Hot Fuzz (2 Disc Special Edition) [2007] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78050421.jpg "Hot Fuzz (2 Disc Special Edition) [2007] [DVD]")
Jun 5th, 2009
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