ALARIS' REVIEWS

9th May 2009
Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz is the second film collaboration between director Edgar Wright and leading actor Simon Pegg. The first, zombie satire Shaun of the Dead (2004), was funny, engaging, and surprisingly poignant. Hot Fuzz is all of the above, and on a bigger budget.

Hot Fuzz is a quirky satire of police movies and creepy small towns, following hyper-competent police sergeant Nicolas Angel as he is unwillingly transferred to a picture perfect village, where bizarre accidents seem to be picking off the residents.

Hot Fuzz is enormously entertaining, creating that wonderful balance between the absurdly comic and the sincere. I love stories which move seamlessly between the ridiculous and the dramatic, where characters behave earnestly in the strangest of situations - something used to great effect in Pixar films, and TV series like Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.

It's great to see Simon Pegg playing a straight-laced, confident, competent character - a refreshing departure from his 'lovable' loser roles (Shaun of the Dead 2004, Run Fatboy Run 2007, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People 2008). All the cast are excellent, including an amusing cameo from Bill Nighy, and an oozingly sinister performance from Timothy Dalton as a local shop owner.

Hot Fuzz is a well crafted production, with steady pacing, engaging characters, and some nicely stylised cinematography. Some of the plot is predictable, but the journey is enjoyable, and there are some really funny moments. It's not a film that will linger with you for months afterward, but it's an easy, engaging two hours. My only warning would be the occasional gore - if you don't like splatter, keep a cushion handy.

If the next rumoured production by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg is anything like their first two collaborations, The World's End is one to look out for.

Verdict: An entertaining police movie satire with heart.

If you like Shaun of the Dead, you'll probably like Hot Fuzz.

Read Zee's review of Hot Fuzz (2007).