 | |
List Price: $12.98 | | Label: Universal Studios
Salesrank: 7120
Released: July 31, 2007 |
| Our Price: $5.76 |
| Used Price: $1.82 |
|
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted) Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 31-JUL-2007
Media Type: DVD
Description of Hot Fuzz (Full Screen Edition):
In Shaun of the Dead, it was the zombie movie and the anomie of modern life. In Hot Fuzz, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg set their sights on the buddy cop blockbuster and the eccentric English village. The two worlds collide when overachieving London officer Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is promoted to sergeant. The catch is that he's being transferred to Agatha Christie country. His superiors (the comic trifecta of Martin Campbell, Steve Coogan, and Bill Nighy) explain that he's making the rest of the force look bad. On the surface, Sandford is a sleepy little burg where the most egregious crimes, like loitering, are committed by hoody-sporting schoolboys. In truth, it's a hotbed of Willow Man-style evil. Upon his arrival, Chief Butterman (Jim Broadbent) partners Angel with his daft son, Danny (Nick Frost, Pegg's Shaun co-star), who aspires to kick criminal "arse" like the slick duo in Bad Boys II. When random citizens start turning up dead, he gets his chance. With the worshipful Danny at his side, Angel shows his cake-eating colleagues how things are done in the big city. As in Shaun, their previous picture, Wright and Pegg hit their targets more often than not. With the success of that debut comes a bigger budget for car chases, shoot-outs, and fiery explosions. Though Hot Fuzz earns its R-rating with salty language and grisly deaths, the tone is more good-natured than mean-spirited. A wall-to-wall soundtrack of boisterous British favorites, like the Kinks, T-Rex, and Sweet, contributes to the fast-paced fun. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Hot Fuzz (Full Screen Edition) Reviews:
This fuzz is really hot! 
2009-12-08 - I will admit that at times I go a little overboard when reviewing these `spoof' comedies. I walk away from the movie thinking one thing and then, in the middle of writing my review, I change my mind. The fact remains that these movies need time to settle. The comedy in these films may not seem blatant and `laugh out loud' funny on the outset, but remembering the scenes can be more rewarding then actually seeing them.
Case in point; `Monty Python and the Holy Grail' is one of my favorite comedies. When I first saw the film I hated it. It wasn't until a conversation I had a few YEARS later with some friends that I realized just how funny that movie really is. Another film that strikes me as funnier when `thinking' about it is `Scary Movie 2'. The difference there is that, when watching the film a second and third time, it becomes apparent that the film should only be thought about, never seen.
So, it's safe to say then that, when reflecting on these films and writing my reviews my initial reaction can, at times, get thwarted by my newfound appreciation for what I had previously witnessed. This has caused my views to get clouded at times (thus resulting in 5-star reviews for films like `Slither', that, upon further reflection should have remained the B-Grade movie I had initially intended it to be), not always for the better.
I loved this movie from the start, in through the middle, and in the end as well. Upon further reflection I still love it, and yet I see its faults and am forcing myself to keep with my initial grade (B+) and fight the urge to give it an A.
Ha, now that I've said all of that (sorry), I can get to my review.
`Hot Fuzz' pairs Simon Pegg and Nick Frost up with their `Shaun of the Dead' director Edgar Wright. This time Pegg is playing Nicholas Angel, an overzealous police officer who has made it a habit of making everyone around him look bad, so much so that he is promoted only to find himself relocated to the country where the crime rate is low and the villagers are, well, interesting. Angel is furious but he quickly adapts and starts enforcing the law, to the dismay of those around him (especially the lazy police force). His partner, Danny Butterman, dreams of living out an action movie, and once citizens start dieing, he finally gets his chance.
`Hot Fuzz' is obvious, but it is supposed to be. You kind of know who to suspect the minute you see him, but it's okay because you expect that. The film moves along a little slowly in parts, but it makes up for that with clever (albeit stagy) dialog and performances (Pegg slips into David Caruso mode effortlessly). The film is kind of cut like a slick horror film, or an upstaged episode of CSI, with quick editing and glossy visuals. The gore is very present, but always in a comical and `airy' kind of way. It doesn't feel gory because it is there for you to laugh at. The ending is the films best feature and greatest detractor. It layers it on thick (the action scenes are gloriously shot and surprisingly charismatic and funny) and that is a good thing and, eventually, a bad thing (it doesn't know when to quit).
Despite that twist upon a twist upon a twist upon a twist, it still comes together very nicely in the end and certainly warrants our attention.
I was one who strongly disliked `Shaun of the Dead' upon my initial viewing, found it slightly humorous upon reflection only to watch it again and conclude that, while it has its moments (that record tossing scene is just glorious) it remains overrated in my opinion. `Hot Fuzz' blows that one out of the water, and quite frankly, if it had toned down the end a tad (even in its longevity it does maintain its comedic timing though...that swan!) I would have given it an A, without any hesitation.
I don't want to seem overzealous here, so I'm restraining myself (my inner movie-lover is aching to give this an extra star now!). See what I mean? I started this review determined to go the way of a B+ and I've already talked myself into an A-. No, no I must stick to my guns here.
B+, x's 1000!
Comedy or Horror Show? 
2009-12-06 - This 2007 British movie totally confused me. It starts out slow and sets up a situation that is supposed to be funny. Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the star. He acts and looks like the latest James Bond actor, a combination of Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood. Nicolas Angel is an over-achiever cop in London. His fellow cops are embarrassed by his perfection as it makes them look bad. His arrest record is 400% higher than any of them. He makes them all look bad, like they are not trying to do their jobs. Angel's supervisors send him to a small remote village outside of London. The name of the town is Sandford and Angel starts out doing trite and routine police work. The feel of the movie is that it is a dry comedy, but you begin to wonder as Angel's crime sensing skills keep jolting you. At first it is small crimes.
He becomes partners with Danny (Nick Frost), the son of the the Police Chief, Frank Butterman (Jim Broadbent). Danny is a wanna-be gunfighter, action-oriented guy, and becomes fast friends with Angel.
The story unravels from being fairly pleasant and tongue-in-cheek funny to a horrifying realization that practically the whole town is involved with murders, violence and sociopathic behaviors. The blood and guts is not that funny and shocked and gagged me. Many killings that were set up to look accidental were really murders planned by the town's "Better Good" shadow committee.
As the mystery deepens, and grisly deaths continue through scene after scene, Angel and Nick work together to clean up the town - it morphs into a Western of sorts when Angel rides into town on a horse with enough guns to kill a platoon. Some of the dark comedy gave me a laugh, but the last part of the movie dragged on and on, as one fight after another erupts, deaths mount and everyone that can double-cross another has had their scene. It is supposed to be surprising but it only made me look at my watch - when is this overwrought fairy-tale hero going to win and move on? He finally does, the town settles down, and it is a relief.
If you like a lot of gun-totting frumpy villagers, car chases, bombs, back-stabbing, and grisly scenes this is for you.
Not the best, not the worst 
2009-11-17 - Got this free through a Pepsi promotion. I would not have paid money to get this movie. Not really my kind of comedy, but since it was free, it was fun to watch the first time and I'll likely watch it again down the road sometime. It did have it's funny parts though, and the outtakes were fun to watch.
Excellent 
2009-10-28 - The guys from Shaun of the Dead are at it again. This is easily one of my favorite movies. It has the same type of humor as Shaun but this time instead of a zombie attack, they are cops in a small town. Buy this and watch it. You will laugh a ton without a doubt.
The gore worked for Shaun, but is misplaced in this. 
2009-10-25 - Yes, this film is highly entertaining. But there was really no need to turn it into a gore-fest. Shaun was a zombie flick, and it was expected. But even the most violent cop flicks aren't usually this messy.