Hot Fuzz

By: The Dude

Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Simon Pegg, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost
Rating: 3 out of 5
 
Your more astute film buffs will recall that before he was a gay man with AIDS, a stranded weirdo with a volleyball, an astronaut with a problem or a code breaker with a secret, Tom Hanks was Ray Petersen, a suburbanite with killers living down the block.
 
The Dude recalls The 'burbs with great fondness. It was one of those cult films with so many memorable moments that its hard to know why it didn't become a classic. Take the army guys over the road falling off the roof with a loaded rifle. Has there ever been a funny piece of film ever made?
 
"Why", you might ask, "is The Dude reviewing The 'burbs instead of this Hot Fuzz movie?"
 
"Well," I retort, "I'm establishing an argument, so stop interrupting and pay attention or you'll miss the well-constructed point."
 
Upon watching this latest piece o’ work from the fella behind Shaun of the Dead, the first movie that came to The Dude’s mind was aforementioned The 'burbs. In fact, this piece of Fuzz is basically The 'burbs meets The Office meets Shaun of the Dead.

It’s ‘bout this here big city cop (Simon Pegg) who’s Tango and Cash all rolled into one. He’s so good that his superiors ship him off to the countryside so as to stop him showing them all up.

So as not give away the twisting plot, I’ll say no more – except that there’s plenty o’ bizarre goings on in said town. Not as bizarre as the Amish folk in The Village, but bizarre nonetheless.

Plenty of laughs ensue from the local constabulary, the blasphemin’ padre, and the generally psycho townsfolk.

Probably not one to fire up when your old ma is over for a visit with her youngest, and I’m not too sure the missus will like this one, thanks to the Tarrintino nature of the last half. But don’t let that stop you from getting your hands on one hell of a funny flick.
 
Verbatim:
Danny Butterman: "By the power of Grey Skull."

In a word: Freaky