$5 million in 825 theatres
That's how much money Hot Fuzz made in limited release in the US this weekend. I wish they'd hurry up and widen the release so that my podunk theatre could show it. ARRRRRRRRRGH!!!
Nevermind. I have managed to view Hot Fuzz through perfectly legal means. Really. Let's just say that it required a long road trip and zero shame. Ahem.
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent and Timothy Dalton
Rating: 4 out of 5
We might as well get the comparison with Shaun of the Dead out of the way. Hot Fuzz is funnier than Shaun of the Dead and suffers from none of that film's drawbacks. There are no dead and annoying scenes, there is no dead and annoying Nick Frost (he's in it but he's neither dead nor annoying) and there is no brain-dead and annoying girlfriend.
What we do get is 2 hours full of British dry humour mixed with slapstick/over-the-top laughs that are sure to split your sides and cause you to snort Diet Coke out of your nostrils. Ouch! Another point of comparison with Shaun, is the zombie-like behaviour of some of the characters in the film. Also, there's lots of blood, gore and scary head wounds.
Pegg plays uber-cop, Nicholas Angel, who gets re-assigned (for good behaviour) to a seemingly innocent small town in Gloucestershire (pronounced "gloss-stir-sheh" for you non-Anglophiles) where he is paired up with the immature but affable Danny Butterman played by Nick Frost. The film is entertaining on many levels. It's part Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, part buddy-cop-action-thriller-spoof, part gore-fest, and part romantic comedy.
Say what now?
Yes, it is part romantic comedy. I know I said there wasn't an annoying girlfriend in this film but the chemistry between Angel and Butterman is so palpable and sweet, that when the two of them fall asleep together on the couch after bonding over Bad Boys II, you can't help but let out an "awwww". Their budding friendship and comraderie is at the heart of this film.
The Miss Marple bit comes in the form of the sudden and gruesome deaths of some of the town's citizens. Angel is convinced that these deaths are all linked and that the deliciously menacing Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton) is somehow involved. As the newbie in town and in the local constabulary force ... er ... service, Angel's theories meet on deaf ears. With some old-school detective work and the faith of his partner, Butterman, Angel strives to get to the bottom of things.
The films buddy-cop-action-thriller-spoof roots show up particularly in the pivotal last 30 minutes of the film when all Hell breaks loose. Crazy, ridiculous, cringe-worthy and exhilirating come to mind. My favourite bit involves what happens Timothy Dalton that makes him wish for bit of ice cream. Poor sod!
Overall, I had a great time and I enjoyed the small roles played by a menagerie of fave Brit actors (Bill Nighy and Martin Freeman, to name two).
Nevermind. I have managed to view Hot Fuzz through perfectly legal means. Really. Let's just say that it required a long road trip and zero shame. Ahem.
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent and Timothy Dalton
Rating: 4 out of 5
We might as well get the comparison with Shaun of the Dead out of the way. Hot Fuzz is funnier than Shaun of the Dead and suffers from none of that film's drawbacks. There are no dead and annoying scenes, there is no dead and annoying Nick Frost (he's in it but he's neither dead nor annoying) and there is no brain-dead and annoying girlfriend.
What we do get is 2 hours full of British dry humour mixed with slapstick/over-the-top laughs that are sure to split your sides and cause you to snort Diet Coke out of your nostrils. Ouch! Another point of comparison with Shaun, is the zombie-like behaviour of some of the characters in the film. Also, there's lots of blood, gore and scary head wounds.
Pegg plays uber-cop, Nicholas Angel, who gets re-assigned (for good behaviour) to a seemingly innocent small town in Gloucestershire (pronounced "gloss-stir-sheh" for you non-Anglophiles) where he is paired up with the immature but affable Danny Butterman played by Nick Frost. The film is entertaining on many levels. It's part Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, part buddy-cop-action-thriller-spoof, part gore-fest, and part romantic comedy.
Say what now?
Yes, it is part romantic comedy. I know I said there wasn't an annoying girlfriend in this film but the chemistry between Angel and Butterman is so palpable and sweet, that when the two of them fall asleep together on the couch after bonding over Bad Boys II, you can't help but let out an "awwww". Their budding friendship and comraderie is at the heart of this film.
The Miss Marple bit comes in the form of the sudden and gruesome deaths of some of the town's citizens. Angel is convinced that these deaths are all linked and that the deliciously menacing Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton) is somehow involved. As the newbie in town and in the local constabulary force ... er ... service, Angel's theories meet on deaf ears. With some old-school detective work and the faith of his partner, Butterman, Angel strives to get to the bottom of things.
The films buddy-cop-action-thriller-spoof roots show up particularly in the pivotal last 30 minutes of the film when all Hell breaks loose. Crazy, ridiculous, cringe-worthy and exhilirating come to mind. My favourite bit involves what happens Timothy Dalton that makes him wish for bit of ice cream. Poor sod!
Overall, I had a great time and I enjoyed the small roles played by a menagerie of fave Brit actors (Bill Nighy and Martin Freeman, to name two).