The GeekHiker

I’ve never been a big horror picture fan (except those groovy “Evil Dead” flicks), but when “Shaun of the Dead” came out a few years ago, I rented it and had a great time.  It worked primarily because you didn’t have to be a horror fan to enjoy the film: as long as you understood the basics about zombies (undead people, like to eat flesh, kinda dim-witted) you could enjoy the film.

Having enjoyed the makers’ previous effort so much, I went out to see “Hot Fuzz” this weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Again, the filmmakers (Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg) really show their love of the cop-movie genre, but manage to make a film that stands on its own.

“Hot Fuzz” starts with the basic cop-movie cliche: Pegg’s Nicholas Angel, being far too perfect a cop in London and therefore making his fellow cops look bad, is promoted and reassigned to a small country town; it’s your basic fish out of water story.  Once there, he uncovers a larger crime plot in the innocent little burg.

Along the way, “Hot Fuzz” manages to touch on other flavors of the cop-genre film: buddy comedy, conspiracy plot, serial killer, etc., all leading up to a third act that is so amazingly, brilliantly, fantastically over the top I almost fell out of my seat laughing.

As with “Shaun of the Dead”, the real advantage of the film is that you don’t have to be totally versed in the genre.  Unlike most recent American parody films (I’m lookin at you, “Scary Movie 3”), which are rooted deeply in sarcasm and utter dependence on the audience knowing the source material, “Hot Fuzz” loves it’s own genre.  Love “Bad Boys II”?  You’ll find this film funny.  Never saw it (as I haven’t)?  You’ll still find the film funny.

I don’t go out to see movies in theaters much anymore, since most of the time I walk out feeling like I wasted ten bucks.  “Hot Fuzz” is not one of those films.  If it’s still near you, go see it, or put it in your Netflix queue.  Highly recommended.