Hot Fuzz - mini-review

Man oh man - how much fun was this movie? From the minds of the mad geniuses who created Shaun of the Dead (on my all-time top-twenty list for certain) comes the buddy cop action flick nonpareil, Hot Fuzz. I want to shake all those movie reviewers who didn't like this one. Did they not get it? Did they not get that this is an homage to all those over-the-top cop flicks we all know all too well? I'm feeling almost morally obligated to rent Bad Boys II after having enjoyed this movie so much.

Edgar Wright (writer/director) and Simon Pegg (writer/lead character "Nicholas Angel") nailed all the clichés from all those action movies: from the long establishing shot of Nicholas walking into work, to the montage of his accolades, to the icy reception he receives in his new assignment, to the eventual loosening up under the influence of his new friend, to the "ironic" cutaways, to the apocalyptic crescendo of the big gun battle. For the first few minutes I was distracted by Pegg, thinking, "That's the guy who played 'Shaun.'" But soon enough I was sucked in by his new deep action-voice and steely single-mindedness - fanastic!

I just loved this movie, inching forward to the edge of my seat by the end of it. I did feel a little guilty watching Nicholas and Danny beating on a bunch of senior citizens, but the glee I felt during the Godzilla tribute in the model village soon pushed all flares of conscience aside. Genuis, I say. I cannot wait to see what Wright and Pegg come up with next now that they have conquered both the zombie and the buddy-cop genres.

P.S. - the shot when Danny opens his DVD closet? A movie-phile's dream - I want that closet.