|
Directed by: Edgar Wright Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost Edgar Wright's latest film carries on in the same vein as his previous comedy, Shaun of the Dead, and lives up to expectations in all regards. The jokes are consistently on the mark, and almost without exception delivered flawlessly by the cast - that said, I'm glad I've spent some time in England now as quite a number of jokes and references would have gone over my head otherwise (the Model Village signs, 'Go back to LondON') The depiction of smalltown England is bang-on based on my limited exposure, and the character humour drives a large part of the movie (and very successfully so). Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have excellent chemistry as per usual, and it's nice to see a few other familiar faces in the cast. There's a lot of nods to other Simon Pegg projects, most notably Shaun of the Dead, but thankfully they're done (with one major exception) very subtly and a lot of them probably wouldn't be picked up unless you've seen the film a few times. Given the relative shortage of good comedy movies I don't think it's premature to guess that this could well be the best comedy released this year, and I really can't recommend it enough to anyone who enjoyed Shaun, Spaced, or good British comedy in general. The only minor gripe I would have is that the murder-mystery part of the story seems a little lacking and you have to suspend disbelief a fair bit to take it in - it didn't seem to mesh quite as well as the zombies did in Shaun, but thankfully the film never spends too long on these segments before getting back to the humour. Definitely a film I intend to watch again, both because I'm pretty sure the jokes will be good value a second time around, and just to catch all the references I missed on the first viewing 'Forget it Nick, it's Sandford' 5.5 RATING: 5.5 PROS: Bloody funny, great characters, perfect depiction of smalltown England CONS: Slasher/Mystery plot doesn't quite match up to the comedy elements ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425112/
|
#
?
Feb 15, 2007 00:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 23:10 |
|
|
Took the wife to see this last night. She wanted to watch Epic Movie, I won the mild argument. I'll agree with most of the OP's points. The film is very funny, in my opinion better than Shaun Of The Dead. I don't think it will be as funny as Shaun was to our American friends, though. Most of Shaun's jokes were relevant to everyone, the show was about Zombies. This is very much about the way the English view crime, police, and the rural communities, and I really don't know how this will translate over to other countries. I feel that this film is much closer to Spaced than to Shaun in characteristics, and if you loved Spaced I guarantee you will love this! A 5.5 from me, I couldn't fault it. Can't wait for the DVD, Pegg said in an interview with Jonothan Ross that the out-takes are great fun in their own right.
|
|
#
?
Feb 15, 2007 23:07
|
|
|
I too won an Epic Movie/Hot Fuzz arguement with the person I was with  Agreed with Funso Banjo in that it probably won't transition well outside of the country. The throwbacks to Shaun of the Dead were cool, especially the fast-cut scenes of mundane actions, I guess Edgar Wright loves those. I did think the film took a while to really get going, but when it did, the laughs were pretty constant. The entire film was a who's who of British comedy, and I particularly enjoyed Stephen Merchant's short role. I'm going for a 5 out of 5.5, because of the time it took to get going. Yarrrrp.
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2007 17:22
|
|
|
For a massive fan and devotee of Spaced like me, this film was a gift like no other. Despite seeming like a far more mundane premise than Shaun Of The Dead (Bad Boys but in England!) it far surpasses that film in pure humour and fun. Admittedly, it does start to drag when the oh-so-obvious plot twist plays out, but then the action really begins and the film shifts into glorious, glorious overdrive. All that the tantalising trailer promised is here in far greater quantity (and quality) than you could ever hope for. Edgar Wright is an annoyingly young director and therefore I think we can expect many more great things from him in years to come. There are many, many small appearances and cameos for British comedy actors, and not one of them disappoints. Bill Bailey, Adam Buxton, Stephen Merchant, Kevin Eldon, Paddy Considine... everyone's role is perfect and just adds to the already delicious mix. Highly recommended. Fans of British comedy in particular will find masses to enjoy here. And despite the esoteric setting (for anyone outside Britain), the quick jokes and well-executed slapstick should appeal to everybody. 5/5
|
|
#
?
Feb 19, 2007 02:05
|
|
|
Hot Fuzz is, like Shaun of the Dead, a flawed film. However, where Shaun failed by having too much time devoted to character development, rather than gags or what have you, Hot Fuzz goes far too far in the other direction. Far too many of the characters are generic one joke, or country bumpkin, types, and the only real thematic core of the film - the relationship between Pegg's policeman, who cannot switch off, and Frost's, who cannot switch on - is abandoned in preference for an action sequence which goes on through far too many identical subsidiary characters, and seems to only really be there to play out Pegg and Frost's fantasies. Edgar Wright's directorial style, which in Spaced and Shaun of the Dead used action directorial cliches in an ironic fashion to highlight such things as putting milk away in the fridge, is here used, from about half way through, entirely straight up. There's nothing really interesting in someone loading a shotgun with the frequent cuts of a standard action film. Even before that, it's used so much the film becomes almost annoying to watch. Hot Fuzz still has enough to make it worth a watch, especially the mean streak which continues through the film. However, like Shaun, it so frequently revels in its place as a piece of genre film that it, to my eye, lacks the interest of Pegg and Stevenson's Spaced, which tends more to rise above the films it references, whilst still being an affectionate nod. 3.5/5.
|
|
#
?
Feb 19, 2007 12:35
|
|
|
Just got back from seeing it. I agree with a lot of what MrL_JaKiri said, although I think I enjoyed it a bit more despite that. My main problem with it is it sort of flip-flops between character comedy and action, which Shaun of the Dead managed to balance so well. There are long spells of quiet in Hot Fuzz which feel interrupted when theres really loud, fast-cut action. And the gun-filled finale, while its definatly fun and well put together, feels way too long and almost like a totally different film. It kind of felt like they were trying to squeeze in as many action movie cliches as they possibly could whilst still building some real characters and doing something original. I had a hell of a lot of fun spotting the references though (which were much more overt this time around than in SoTD, more in the spirit of Spaced), and performances were great from everybody (especially from Timothy Dalton who was slimey and creepy as hell) and I was consistently laughing out loud for a lot of it. Its jarring at times and you're sort of taken out of it in a few places, but its still a great fun watch and I'd probably be happy to go and see it a second time. Best joke: Pegg talking about his "playtime's over" one-liner earlier in the film right in the middle of a guns and cutlary fight. Jog on. 4/5 Crackerman fucked around with this message at 02:42 on Feb 21, 2007 |
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2007 01:02
|
|
|
I just saw this with Shaun of the Dead in mind; since I really liked that and the trailer looked good, I had high hopes. I was really disappointed. The idea behind the film is the same as with Shaun: re-imagining a genre that hinges on stereotype in english settings. This time, it's cop-buddy movies instead of zombie flicks. Shaun of the Dead succeeded because it was a zombie parody and a great zombie flick at the same time. Hot Fuzz always feels like a parody, which, with a genre as superficially entertaining as cop-buddy movies is not really a rich picking ground. There is a fair amount of gore, which seems out of place, while the action scenes - that should be the centerpiece - are poorly directed. The action is muddled and often hard to follow, with a lot of the swift cutting clickety-clack shots to suggest military efficiency in everyday actions. That worked in Shaun, but it's much less effective here. The chemistry between Pegg and Frost is excellent, and there are some good lines, but the story plods along and there are no stand-out moments. There are some enjoyable cameos, some enjoyable acting (Timothy Dalton is great and snooty), but the plot hovers between predictable and far-fetched. What remains is just enough to be amusing, but don't go out of your way to see this. 2.5/5
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2007 17:57
|
|
|
I saw this yesterday and really enjoyed it. It wasn't what I expected at all, the trailers present it as an all out comedy with a very vague murder case sub-plot, I wasn't at all bothered though that there was more to it than I initially thought. As previously said the chemistry between Nick and Simon is awesome and they play off each other really well, I also really appreciated the humour, although for some reason I didn't find it as quotable as Shaun, whether this is a good or bad thing I really don't know. The only complaints I heard was that it was 20mins too long, I didn't really feel like this was the case, although I guess the beginning with Coogan and Martin Freeman could have been trimmed down slightly, I also thought the scene where he visited his ex in the murder scene was a bit unneccesary, I agree it did take a bit of time to get going. I'm going to give it a 4.5/5 purely because while it was easily the funniest film i've seen for a long time, I just think they could have got a bit more humour in there without it being over-kill, and because maybe the beginning was a bit long.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2007 14:11
|
|
|
It's simply an all out festival of fun from (almost) start to finish. I admit its a little slow to start and the ex-girlfriend scene was probably not neccecary, but when it picks up shortly after, its simply fantastic. 5.5/5
|
|
#
?
Mar 11, 2007 13:59
|
|
|
This film was average at best and tedious at worst. As with Shaun of the Dead, it is clearly another case of being hugely overrated. Firstly, this film is not that funny. The humour is very simple with the same gags over and over, and poor ones at that. I think a chuckle or two was the most this film mustered out of me. Also, the pacing is very poor, with nearly all the film having virtually no action apart from a 5 second shots of each murder. The only sizeable action scene comes at the end, and even that is poorly done. I watched with amusement as our protagonist simply sat in front of a fountain shifting slightly to avoid bullets, whilst the foe missed with about 10 shots. Not convincing at all, and again it is another film with "Shakey-Cam(tm)", where the only way to convey any sense of action is by shaking the camera around like someone with Parkinson's Disease. The film also dragged on for about 20 minutes too much, I kept expecting an end but then another unpredictable joke arised just when you thought the credits would appear. If you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead I would see this, if not then avoid, at least until rental. 2/5
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2007 19:40
|
|
|
I saw it opening night (it opened here in the US yesterday evening) Pretty much loving amazing. Much like Shaun of the Dead, it proved that just because you're making a lampooning a particular genre doesn't mean you can't make a loving awesome movie in it. Brilliant comedy, and one of the best action movies I've seen in a long loving time. Like Shaun, it's not 100% comedy, although I do think what is dark humor and what isn't a joke is a bit more clear-cut here. More mass appeal than Shaun of the Dead definitely. And speaking of that movie, I was glad to see far less of it than I expected. After the fence-hopping scene they showed in the trailer, I expected a much higher percentage of the jokes to be in-jokes with audience members who saw the last one. Brilliantly written, too. Lots of subtle plays on words. Reminded me at times of Arrested Development, just from the sheer amount of intricate referencing and bringing back seemingly insignificant plot points. For example, in the scene where Angel is running through the tunnel full of corpses and skeletons, it seems like the writers basically reread the entire script up to that point just to see how many little things they could throw in. Like the beard guy. The editing was amazing, as well. Some of the best transitions I've ever seen, and lots of little cuts that trick the audience into believing something for a second other than the truth, which is great for keeping the suspense high. Two transitions that stick out to me most would be the red covering the screen after a murder that was just the light on the phone and the beer-grabbing / pissing on the seat one. The sound design was also great; every sound is blown ridiculously out of proportion with massive amounts of bass and close-ups, which is a very specific but accurate action movie reference. And as an action movie parody, it's basically flawless. As I left the theater, I seriously fought to come up with a single cliché that they failed to address. As for the cons, the beginning is slightly slow, but you could argue that like in Shaun, the movie is better off for it because of the great contrast it provides to the action and the references it allows the writers to make references to events from before chaos struck. Still, I think proportionately it took up much more of this movie than it did the previous one. Also, not every joke is perfect, but luckily, most of the lovely and lame ones are already spoiled in the trailer. I do agree with the reviewer above that the camera-shaking technique was overused in a few parts, but you could argue that it's another homage to action movies. v  vHighly recommended, and judging by how many times the audience broke into applause, many Americans feel the same way. I loved it, and if you enjoy action, comedy, or Shaun, see this movie. 4.5/5 Baby Lion King IMAX fucked around with this message at 14:52 on Apr 21, 2007 |
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2007 14:46
|
|
|
Good action, good jokes, a very fun film over all. If you liked Shaun of the Dead, you have to check this one out. The only real negative I feel like the film has was its pacing. I felt like their was about 20mins in the middle where next to nothing was going on. It by no means sunk the film just a little downer in an otherwise excellent action comedy. If I had to compare it to shaun, shaun being a 10, this one would be a 9.5. Ups: Decent action, funny jokes, a fun film Downs: Slight pacing issues Rating: 4.5/5.0
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2007 18:48
|
|
|
Not as good as "Shaun", but still better than most everything else in American theaters. The movie drags a little since they seem to be trying to mesh 3 types of movies together, but it's well worth the price of admission. 4/5.5
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2007 20:33
|
|
|
I went and saw this last night not knowing anything about it other then it was the same guys as Shaun of the Dead. I was not disappointed to say the least and I am in no way a fan of British humor and frankly I think British humor is for the most part dry and lame. With that said this movie was great. I think too many people from the reviews went in thinking this will be a similiar style to Shaun of the Dead when it has nothing to do with it and you should not compare these two completly different, but funny movies at all. They are really in sepparate categories all to themselves. If you liked the humor in Shaun you will enjoy it here. The movie took a while to get rolling, but as the plot developed and the twist came it was actually surprising to myself. I was not expecting the twist however somehow knew it was coming. They did a very good job at keeping things undercover. I personally enjoyed the scene by scene playout at the end of Point Break and Bad Boys. I found this to be one of the higher and more hilarious points in the movie. This movie did a great job blending action and suspence with a little bit of horror and mystery. The only downside is that the movie does seem to take a little bit to actually get to some of the humor. The first 15 minutes I actually thought it might be serious the entire way through until the first bit of actual movie and not [spoiler]cut backs to the training montage.[spoiler] All in all this was very enjoyable and I am glad I won my wife over with seeing this and not going to see Vacancy or Blades of Glory. 5.0/5.5 Agent019 fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Apr 22, 2007 |
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2007 22:10
|
|
|
Saw this Thursday at a free screening (I was planning on paying to see it anyway, so this worked out well) and absolutely loved it. I'm a big fan of Shaun of the Dead, and if anything, I'd say this is the funnier of the two movies. For the most part, I think the barometer for whether you'll enjoy this is whether or not you enjoyed SotD or British humor in general. I've never been to that side of the pond, but the jokes about small town life still rang true for me here as a resident of rural Ohio. Besides, jump-kicking an old lady and breaking her nose is pretty universal humor. At least half of our entertainment after the movie came from making fun of my wife's friend who came along, since she was young enough to not get the "By the Power of Grayskull" bit. 5.5 out of 5.
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2007 17:15
|
|
|
Pros: This movie is not bust-a-gut hilarious, but its consistently pretty drat funny and incredibly clever in the simplest ways. Cons: It's about 20 mins too long. The end gets kind of ridiculous, and some of it feels unnecessary. Also, the entire movie is chock-full of those rabid action movie cuts, which gets really tiring to watch after awhile. Overall, this movie is definitely worth checking out if you're interested in it. I really enjoyed it - more so than Shaun of the Dead. 3.5/5.0
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2007 06:15
|
|
|
I agree that this is funnier than SOTD which I am quite fond of. Beefs: -Quick cut sequences were a bit overused IMO, although I guess it's considered to be a fundamental "building block" tool by this director. It seemed a bit hackneyed towards the end. -Pacing/runtime: I agree that the middle/late segment dragged, the "tying together/plot revelation" part was rather too long for what it was. It just seemed like the part just before the final action extravaganza could have used tighter editing. Pluses: -The final big action sequence was great and hilarious, with references from Clint Eastwood to the B movies already touched upon "poo poo just got real!". -Timothy Dalton's smarmy grin. -Swan mediated plot resolution!!! Overall, 4/5 and highly recommended.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2007 17:12
|
|
|
This movie can be summed up in two words: Pure. Awesome. Witty, original, and full of loveable characters, Hot Fuzz is one of the best action comedies I have ever seen. That one scene alone with Simon Pegg riding into town on a horse with two shotguns strapped to this back was worth the price of admission. It was so loving badass. 5.5/5 Go see this movie and be prepared to laugh like a maniac.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2007 23:40
|
|
|
I liked it, but like others said, it had a whole lot of flaws. It simply put in too many jokes and too many parodies. Something like two thirds of the movie is a parody of detective/mystery movies, and it works great. The sound, the camera work, even the acting makes it a great parody. Then the film does a complete 180 and goes into action movies, where the parodies are incredibly obvious and the jokes have all been done before. It also didn't "switch off", the jokes just kept coming and coming and coming at every scene, so by the middle you basically knew how everything would work out. 4/5
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2007 06:46
|
|
|
I loved Shaun and Spaced but I didn't really like Hot Fuzz much at all. Overall it was pretty boring and not nearly as funny as it should have been. The laughs were never harder than a snort and it was a snort because that's what I do when I transition from bored to laughter. There was a whole lot of bored. There were a lot of snorts too but they were spread out. The story was pretty lame and the twist was obvious the instant the guilty party was introduced. It was also way too long. I was ready for it to end somewhere around the fourth or fifth potential ending. It took about seventeen for it to actually end. I'm going to go ahead and say that I didn't like it because I didn't get it. The people I was with enjoyed it but I was wholly disappointed. I thought the trailer was horrible but heard good things about the movie so I had my hopes up. I really don't think it was good as a parody or an action movie. The action scenes just felt boring and were disorienting due to the stupid camera techniques. I'm pretty sure I would have had a seizure if the movie were much longer. I think they should just stick with zombie movies from now on. 2/5
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2007 08:32
|
|
|
I dunno, I found this pretty lame. I really liked SOTD but I'm beginning to think that's only because of the zombies and not the bumbling English comedy I want so much to charm me but really isn't. Sure, there were parts that made me smile, but they were far and few between and really didn't elevate the movie above a horribly cliched Scooby Doo cartoon murder mystery slash action spoof. The whole thing was pretty naff. Simon Pegg's straight faced hardass cop character lacked all the warmth he bought to his befuddled everyman hero in Shawn and ended up making me wish he'd take the carrot out of his rear end and relax his lips so his mouth didn't look like a cat's rear end in a top hat. PROS: Cool title, has Bill Nighy in it (for a few moments), Dude gets squashed by a falling gargoyle. CONS: Less witty than Shawn, cliched parody, unaffecting characters. 2/5
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2007 15:38
|
|
|
I liked this movie a lot. Hot Fuzz is definitely in the same ballpark as Shaun of the Dead, which is one of my all-time favorite movies, but in the end I'd have to rate it slightly below Shaun. There's not a lot wrong with it. It was a fun and engaging viewing experience throughout. The main difference between a movie like Scary/Date/Epic Movie and a movie like Hot Fuzz is that no effort is put into the former. The jokes are incredibly easy and are made to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It has no artistic merit; the whole thing comes off as a money grab. Hot Fuzz is able to satirize material while still providing its own. You see and hear things you know you've seen and heard a million times before, but by virtue of the script and the performers, it seems as fresh and exciting as it was the very first time, and even the bits that fall outside of satire manage to resonate with their own comedic brilliance. Much like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz breathes new life into a stale, stale genre, improving upon all the familiar aspects while leaving its own unique touch. If I had to make a complaint, it would be that there wasn't enough action. The transition from the crime drama to the action movie about four-fifths of the way through felt somewhat abrupt. I was so absorbed in the former style that I had completely forgotten about the action scenes hinted at in the trailer, such as the beloved grandma kick, which had strongly compelled me to go see the film in theaters. When the shift occurred, there was a definite sense of "OHHHHH, poo poo'S ON!!" I would recommend Hot Fuzz to just about anyone with an appreciation for the style of humor. It is a shining example of how to make a good parody movie, or just a good movie in general. I rate it a 5 out of 5.5.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2007 01:42
|
|
|
Aquasol posted:I rate it a 5 out of 5.5. I loved this movie. It's comedy is pretty witty and it's pretty over the top hilarious. I went in without knowing much about it other than it was made by the same guys as Shaun of the Dead and I was very very satisfied.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2007 14:41
|
|
|
Was quite different than what I was expecting, and far exceeded my expectations. I was laughing through the whole thing: even when the movie isn't acting funny, its still humorous in irony. And then there's even the  action parts, which are like a bonus for such an already great movie.One thing though: This is not a date movie. My friend brought his girlfriend, and apparently "Her eyes were closed for half the movie". This movie is over the top bloody and gory, much like Shaun of the Dead, and even Grindhouse. 5/5 Edit: Sean/Shaun Humour/Humor   !
UnquenchableFire fucked around with this message at 00:14 on May 7, 2007 |
|
#
?
May 5, 2007 19:01
|
|
|
Fantastic movie. I love Point Break and this movie had me nearly in hysterics. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2007 01:32
|
|
|
I still think Shaun of the Dead was better, but this movie still had it's high points. Nick Frost can play one of the best dumb asses in movies today.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2007 18:23
|
|
|
Saw this tonight and really enjoyed it. It had a lot of loose ends to tie up (the sea mine and the swan immediately come to mind), and the filmmakers did so brilliantly. Well worth seeing. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 13, 2007 05:16
|
|
|
5/5, certainly a top ten for me. As an American (I've been across the pond on many separate occasions, however... lived in Cambridge for a month), I'm sure I did not catch all of the humor about smalltown England, but that certainly did not detract too much from the experience at all, for me. One of few movies during which I could not control my own laughter. I think that says it all.
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2007 08:17
|
|
|
I've watched this movie twice so far. The first time through I chuckled through the first 2/3 of the movie, and was totally thrown for a loop at the end when the plot was revealed. The second time through I caught a lot more of the small references and gags that I missed the first time. While I do think this falls short of the incredibly high bar that Shaun of the Dead set, I have never seen a movie that more thoroughly wraps up every reference and plot point. It was impressive. The dry low key humor throughout is made even more hilarious by the random over the top action movie cliches randomly interspersed. 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2007 18:33
|
|
|
A perfect example of how a good parody movie is done. It's a lot like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein in that the guys understand the best way to mock all the overplayed cliches of the genre without being lazy like the Epic, Date, Scary Movies 5/5
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2007 18:41
|
|
|
Fantastic parody of all those over the top cop action movies. None of the jokes are forced or tired - you could definitely watch this one twice in a row, which is rare for comedies. If you liked Shaun of the Dead, you need to see Hot Fuzz. 5.0/5.0
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2007 05:08
|
|
|
I don't care for the sort of big cop movies that the film was parodying, so I think I missed out on a fair amount of the comedy. Bad: -Too long -Plot tended to drag -I found the editing very distracting Good: -Nick and Danny are awesome -Loose ends tied up in a nice bow (SWAN!) -Timothy Dalton talking with a church steeple jammed through his jaw 4.5/5.0
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2007 04:56
|
|
|
I loved this movie. It fixed the only problem I had with Shaun of the Dead. It intermingled the serious moments with the funny moments. I was laughing the whole movie. Even the stressful moments had an tinge of humour interlaced. 5/5
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2007 17:57
|
|
|
By far the funniest movie i have seen in a fair while, Shaun of the Dead will be hired next week for viewing. Well thought of humor which is a change from such movies as Scary Movie etc 5/5
|
|
#
?
Jul 22, 2007 08:46
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 23:10 |
|
|
Hot Fuzz is an incredible movie. I've seen it twice on my home theater system, and while my 5.1 Monster speaker set and Optoma DLP projector aren't the best in the world, the movie really looked great. The only problem I had with it was that the quick movements and action scenes made me a bit sick, but I attribute that to the projector. In summary, though not better than Shaun of the Dead, it is not worse either. They are both comedy gold, though in different and unique ways. 5/5.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2007 08:22
|
|
