First Take Classics: Hot Fuzz- They fought the law and comedy won

SYPNOSIS: Exceptional London cop Nicholas Angel is involuntarily transferred to a quaint English village and paired with a witless new partner. While on the beat, Nicholas suspects a sinister conspiracy is afoot with the residents.

Edgar Wright’s 2007 comedy is one of those rare films that is still just as funny quite a few years after its initial cinema release- and to get that level of praise for a comedy about the police takes some doing.

Wright and Simon Pegg’s script is pin-sharp throughout, with countless references to the police films that inspired them to make this beauty, and with the same frenetic energy and obsession with the Cornetto that makes Shaun of the Dead so unique, Wright’s direction is near faultless, making the near 2 hour running time fly by. It’s also shot very well by Jess Hall, and with David Arnold providing the score, this is a go-to film for British talent.

The performances from the entire cast including Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Olivia Colman, Timothy Dalton and many others just make the film blend the lines between the seriousness of the police genre and the outright humour that only a Cornetto trilogy film can bring. It passed the 6 laugh test again and again for the whole duration. This is British comedy done right.

THE VERDICT

Hot Fuzz is a worthy sequel to Shaun of the Dead, and with The World’s End just a couple of months away, can Edgar Wright make it three from three? Only time will tell.

Rating: 5/5