Hot Fuzz

Who you gonna call when Bad Boys don’t know what to do? Nobody better than Simon Pegg and Nick Frost... After Shaun of the Dead, the Wright/Pegg duo is back and this time they poke fun at crime movies, buddy movies and action movies of all kinds. Basically, all the positive ingredients from Shaun can be found in Hot Fuzz too. Unfortunately this also applies to the negative aspects. One of the main pluses of this movie is that it really is funny - which cannot be said about every comedy released recently. Primarily, it doesn’t parody in that “commercial, American" style. You don’t necessarily need to know the scenes that are parodied here, because they are more of a subtle nod for movie connoisseurs. This movie works more than well, primarily thanks to the marvelous dose of British humor. The action is perfect in terms of filmmaking craft and is better than in many an A-grade action movie. Some scenes will have you rolling in the aisles. Simon Pegg and his aura easily carries through even at those couple of weaker moments that crop up in the course of the rather overly-long running time. And he is skillfully seconded by the creme de la creme of contemporary British comedy. Unfortunately, the result suffers from the same ailment as its older brother - a rather weak middle section. But generally it applies that this movie from the pens of Pegg and Wright is polished, intelligent and mainly darn good. Just a shame that again it is one step short of absolute perfection. But still, you can’t help but love Hot Fuzz. And as a bonus, Cate Blanchett appears here in an unmissable central role. "Nurp!" (06/08/2007)

Hot Fuzz is to action movies what Shaun of the Dead should have been to zombie horror, i.e. a half parody of the genre on the one hand, and a proud representative thereof on the other. Unlike Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright manages to make things work out and the result is a very good and remarkable film with humour, a (horror) twist and sharp action. Basically, without complaints. (06/27/2010)

Genius films are those that can balance exactly on the edge, so if any ingredient were added just a little bit, it could turn into a failure from a great success. During the first half of the film, I had a great time and it could have been the comedy of the year for me. The precisely calibrated exaggeration on the topic of an overly enthusiastic police officer within an established bureaucratic machinery was not only functional but divine. Similarly, the confrontation between the big city and the sleepy small-town environment where everyone knows each other very well. Unfortunately, in the second half, the creators felt the need to add. Practically everything. As we know, too much of anything is harmful, and thus it turned into a rather average absurd farce. The moment the army of murdering psychopaths appeared and the dialogues took on the dimension of British nonsense, the charm of the film was lost for me. I would give the first half a rating of 100%, the second half 50%, and overall 75%. (10/26/2007)

A great action comedy where everything is a bit exaggerated, but at the same time, it is excellently constructed as both a parody and a standalone functioning film. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost simply fit together, just as Edgar Wright fits with them. This collaboration of these three personalities of contemporary British cinema is the best they have ever been responsible for. (03/13/2014)

Quite surprising and especially interestingly made revelation with absolutely unique and appropriately dry British humor. It is a strange paradox that Hot Fuzz behaves in exactly the same way as Shaun of the Dead, but unlike it, it works. Shaun made fun of zombie movies to gradually become one of them, which ultimately really annoyed me. The unit does the same thing - from a small inconspicuous parody it progresses to perfectly entertaining and intentionally exaggerated action inferno. But in this genre, it fits like nothing else will. For this reason, I gladly forgive Pegga and Frost. (06/14/2007)