I was going to start this post off with a mention I had no idea spoof movies were back--then I realized I just hadn't been partaking in them (I'm thinking the Scary Movie series and whatever else the Brothers Weinstein squeeze out between Oscar-lusts). Hot Fuzz is a technical spoof for the most part--though I think there are a lot of Bad Boys II and Point Break references--with lots of fast cuts, fast pans, rapid montages. There's a good deal of Lethal Weapon references, as well as Terminator 2 ones. Hot Fuzz's most admirable trait--its ability to keep with this crap and ride it through--is also the most irritating. There's little actual content beyond these technical references--except, there should be, because Hot Fuzz has a great cast. With a handful of exceptions--the 1970s-looking detectives make no sense--the supporting characters are perfect. But Simon Pegg's lead is an action hero among regular folk... Hot Fuzz reminds me a lot of Last Action Hero. Pegg plays the character as an action hero lost in the real world (with a few hinky exceptions, like the detectives) and it works against the film.
Pegg's actually really good as the action hero. He's a fine actor. But he's--I need a metaphor for something moving against the grain and I'm not getting one. There's also some serious writing problems--I'm sure one could defend it as some kind of a reference to plot holes in action movies, but there's no real excuse for it. My biggest problem with Hot Fuzz, besides that plot hole, is it's unnecessary. Action movies reference, homage, and mock each other and have been doing it for twenty years. Pointing out all the stereotypical film techniques--down to Lethal Weapon's music, in fact--well, if Hot Fuzz had been fifteen minutes--or even eighty-five--but it's two hours. The jokes get old after about five seconds, long enough to notice the references, then Hot Fuzz carries them through... so it's admirable, but pointless.
The supporting cast--especially Timothy Dalton--is all good. Dalton's great throughout while other characters have reveals and don't do as well... script problems too.
I find it odd movielens said I'd give it three, but IMDb correctly suggests five bad movies to see if I liked it. Including Lethal Weapon and Bad Boys II. Though I'm just guessing on Bad Boys II (I try not to see things like that).
CREDITS
Directed by Edgar Wright; written by Wright and Simon Pegg; director of photography, Jess Hall; edited by Chris Dickens; music by David Arnold; production designer, Marcus Rowland; produced by Nira Park, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner; released by Rogue Pictures.
Starring Simon Pegg (Nicholas Angel), Nick Frost (Danny Butterman), Jim Broadbent (Frank Butterman), Paddy Considine (Andy Wainwright), Timothy Dalton (Simon Skinner), Anne Reid (Leslie Tiller), Rafe Spall (Andy Cartwright), Billie Whitelaw (Joyce Cooper), Edward Woodward (Tom Weaver), Bill Nighy (Chief Inspector), Martin Freeman (Sergeant) and Steve Coogan (Metropolitan Police Inspector).
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