Sunday, February 18, 2007
Caught by the fuzz
Well tonight went and saw the much anticipated (by me anyway) follow up film from Edgar Wright after his great success with Shaun of the Dead: Hot Fuzz, starring Simon pegg as one of London's greatest cops who is sent to a quiet village of Sandford to get away from the city as he is just too good at his job, where he meets up with local policeman Nick Frost, who together unravel something fishy going on in the village.
And I'm pleased to say it was a great laugh from start to finish, although the pacing is a little bit slower for the first hour or so but in the last half hour or so it kicks into gear and delivers some hilarious gun-toting action. Simon Pegg seems to be making a name for himself over in Hollywood now as well as over here, but what's great is he still makes really funny comedic British movies over here. Although it does appear that his playing the straight man in Edgar Wright's movies is going to be a trend.
Hot Fuzz wonderfully takes the piss out of alot of American cop movies, Point Break, Die Hard, Bad Boys 2 etc etc, and even has footage of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost diving into a pub guns blazing (something I bet they've always wanted to do). The style of film making is still very much the same as it was in Shaun of the Dead from Edgar Wright, as the camera is very restless in close ups (probably the best one where Peggster slams some money down, a shop clerk takes it, and gives him his change back!). It also takes this mickey out of films like Wicker Man and Straw Dogs nicely too as it potrays the village in the film as being something a tad sinister (one of the cast even boasts to being an extra in Straw Dogs!).
The cast were also pretty good too, although there was an abundance of British comedians on display in the film (in fact pretty much all of them) with the likes of Bill Bailey, Adam Buxton (watch out for his nasty ending) Martin Freeman, Olivia Coleman, Kevin Eldon, etc etc. The best surprise in the film for me was the inclusion of Timothy Dalton who was really good at playing the sneering, insincere sinister local businessman and even had some funny lines ("My assistant here also holds down a lapdancing job at the club Flappers").
So on the whole Hot Fuzz was a really entertaining British comedy movie, and Edgar Wright is definitely one of the most refreshing Brit directors out there just now, as he manages to balance this crime-drama, comedy easily, and the Pegg and Frost are forever watchable. Look forward to seeing what they will do next.
And I'm pleased to say it was a great laugh from start to finish, although the pacing is a little bit slower for the first hour or so but in the last half hour or so it kicks into gear and delivers some hilarious gun-toting action. Simon Pegg seems to be making a name for himself over in Hollywood now as well as over here, but what's great is he still makes really funny comedic British movies over here. Although it does appear that his playing the straight man in Edgar Wright's movies is going to be a trend.
Hot Fuzz wonderfully takes the piss out of alot of American cop movies, Point Break, Die Hard, Bad Boys 2 etc etc, and even has footage of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost diving into a pub guns blazing (something I bet they've always wanted to do). The style of film making is still very much the same as it was in Shaun of the Dead from Edgar Wright, as the camera is very restless in close ups (probably the best one where Peggster slams some money down, a shop clerk takes it, and gives him his change back!). It also takes this mickey out of films like Wicker Man and Straw Dogs nicely too as it potrays the village in the film as being something a tad sinister (one of the cast even boasts to being an extra in Straw Dogs!).
The cast were also pretty good too, although there was an abundance of British comedians on display in the film (in fact pretty much all of them) with the likes of Bill Bailey, Adam Buxton (watch out for his nasty ending) Martin Freeman, Olivia Coleman, Kevin Eldon, etc etc. The best surprise in the film for me was the inclusion of Timothy Dalton who was really good at playing the sneering, insincere sinister local businessman and even had some funny lines ("My assistant here also holds down a lapdancing job at the club Flappers").
So on the whole Hot Fuzz was a really entertaining British comedy movie, and Edgar Wright is definitely one of the most refreshing Brit directors out there just now, as he manages to balance this crime-drama, comedy easily, and the Pegg and Frost are forever watchable. Look forward to seeing what they will do next.
# posted by kenny @ 10:47 pm 
