Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton
From the same people that brought you ‘Shaun of the Dead‘, a funny movie, this one was lacking quite a bit. First off, I think they couldn’t figure out if they wanted to do a horror film, a mystery, or an action packed thrill ride. They kept switching genres throughout the whole film. It had some actually pretty gory scenes, that kind of reminded me that they had made a Horror film before, and I think that truly is their passion, but then they tried to get all campy and enter the action genre quite a bit as well. Also, there was the ‘mystery’ going on, with the murders in the town, that took on a dramatic murder mystery type tone, somewhat like that movie ‘The Reaping‘. There were some funny moments, there were some good scenes, and lines, but overall I thought this movie sucked and stunk of all the bad things about british films, and had none of the good qualities from them. I give this movie one and a half stars out of five, for having such a disappointing, and stupid ending! Kids? sure … why not? maybe they’ll get the director’s vision, cause I sure didn’t. kidding… I wouldn’t let kids under 12 see it because there are some graphic death scenes in it.
I highly disagree with this review. I understand that the genre seemed awkward, but that is because it was satirizing a number of action movies. The tone changes did make an unstable plot, but I think the comedy and the characters made up for any disorientation. The characters were well developed and easy to care about. Despite Nick Angel’s obvious obsession with “the job,” he still elicits a kind personality. The way he takes to Danny is like an older brother would, teaching him how to become a good “policeman-officer.”
As to the film not being funny or a good satire, I think the montage scenes where industrial-sounding music screams at the audience when they are simply booking perps and filling out paperwork. It’s a justaposition that shows that a good portion of police work, which they don’t show in Bruce Willis or Will Smith movies, is paperwork and reports.
I, personally, liked Hot Fuzz more than Shaun of the Dead, if only because I didn’t think they could out-do themeselves, and yet they did.
I did see Hot Fuzz even before Shaun of the Dead and immediately placed it in my favorite movies list. This is a film that stands out because it combines so many genres, and it succeeds well in doing so. It is one of the better ‘horror comedy’ productions out there as it leaves you wondering frighteningly how the story is going to develop while being entertained greatly with the superb acting by the hand of the duo Pegg and Frost.
However, I do agree that this is not a movie intended for children.
Anytime Pegg and Frost get together to make a movie it comes out brilliant.