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Harvey Karten's Reviews

Review: Hot Fuzz

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#1 of 4 Posted 4/21/07 4:05 PM

From Harveycritic Posts 1637 Last Jan-30
To All [Msg # 22359.1 ]

    HOT FUZZ

Reviewed for CompuServe by Harvey S. Karten
Rogue Pictures
Grade: C-
Directed by:    Edgar Wright
Written By: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg
Cast:   Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, Timothy Dalton, Billie Whitelaw,
Edward Woodward, Rafe Spall, Olivia Colman, Steve Coogan, Paul Freeman
Screened at: AMC Empire, NYC, 4/21/07
Opens: April 20, 2007

There’s a scene in Patrice Leconte’s French comedy, “My Best Friend,” in which Daniel Auteuil’s character, eager to learn how to make friends, emerges from a lecture on that very subject. A large man with huge glasses runs after him, huffing and puffing like a puppy dog, telling him that he has tried everything to make friends–gone on the internet, puting ads in the paper–but nothing has worked. Of course not. The guy is desperate. That’s the very problem with Edgar Wright’s “Hot Fuzz.” For two hours, almost without a letup, Wright is so determined to keep the audience rolling in the aisles, that the movie comes off as virtually mirthless. This is not to say that this is the majority opinion. Far from it. From the looks of things on Rotten Tomatoes, “Hot Fuzz” is not only a bit hit, but has been memorialized already as the comedy of the year. There’s no arguing taste. For me, not a smile. It’s not that British humor does travels poorly across the Atlantic. The world has become a small place, and humor is now pretty much international, President Ahmadinejad excepted. But a minority of souls who must stand up and report dissent: “Hot Fuzz” may not be agony, but merely referencing Agatha Christie, The Grim Reaper, buddy movies, cop movies, homoeroticism, is not enough. Nor is spending boatloads of money for top-notch editing and spanking-good photography of small-town Britannia, specifically the town of Wells, Somerset, England, to represent the fictional little world called the village of the year. The acting chops of top names like Jim Broadbent, Steve Coogan, Bill Nighy, Timothy Dalton, Simon Pegg, Bill Bailey, and Paddy Consodine didn’t save the day either. Again: the problem is desperation.

Those in the audience who find themselves regularly unappreciated in the office of on their outdoor jobs will relate to a problem faced by Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), who has been transferred out of his London cop job to the country because he is so good at his work that he is showing up his fellow cops. He faces the same situation in the sticks, however. By arresting a handful of underage drinkers in the local pub, he alienates the tavern owner, who represents the judgment of the local folks who believe that it’s “for the greater good” to keep the kids off the streets and out of more trouble. Ultra-ambitious, he turns off all the cops in the local station house as well except for his buddy, Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), who both have their eye on supermarket owner Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton) whom they suspect as being behind a slew of murders that are written up as accidents by the local constables and the townsfolk. The two buddy cops spend their time tracking down the killer or killers while trying to convince their colleagues on the beat that crimes have been committed in a village that officially has not had a murder fo twenty years.

From beginning to end, the movie could have been called “Relentless Energy” and, were it French, could have been subtitled, “Sans Comedie,” because for that minority with special taste in the audience, not a smile could be had.

Rated R.    120 minutes   © 2007 by Harvey Karten Member: NY Film Critics Online

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#2 of 4 Posted 4/29/07 10:01 PM

From cthaabstract Posts 1 Last 4/29/07
To Harveycritic [Msg # 22359.2 22359.1 ]

Harvey,

Ease up on your silly over-intellectualization of life. Knock back a few stiff G&T's, see Hot Fuzz again and laugh your usually retentive ass off. Your review is what smacks of desperation. Are you really so desperate to nitpick away to what most dumb, averagely intelligent (I) and genius (you) movie-goers is an ass-kicking two hours of pure indulgent entertainment?

Your taste is so "special". You hate things that are good. How "special". Did I, aged 19 years, pick up on every Agatha Christie/whatever obscure whatever undertones? No.

I don't mean to berate (though I know I am guilty of doing so). I'd appreciate some sort of explanation. You bemoan the intent of the filmmakers; PLEASE detail how the execution goes awry, because I most assuredly disagree with your claim that it does. Tell me: what is a funny movie to you? What does it take to send your high-brow into uncontrollable contortions of humour (laughing, they call it)?

You seek flaws. Try not to. Your inhibitions disallow enjoyment, I'd be willing to wager. Honestly, try seeing a movie like Hot Fuzz drunk. Lower yourself to that level just once. I guarantee you will have a better time.

Are you guilty of a tight-assedness similar to Hot Fuzz's Angel?

Enjoy your French cinema and whatever. hoity toity. have fun.

Colin McDermott

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#3 of 4 Posted 4/30/07 3:09 PM

From Don D. (Sysop) Posts 3599 Last 11/26/08
To Harveycritic [Msg # 22359.3 22359.1 ]

Hi Harvey, I liked it bit more than you. I'd give it a C+. But definitely a come down from the carefree glee of Shaun of the Dead. I did laugh several times, but I seemed to enjoy it more than the audience. I saw it at ShoWest with a bunch of theater owners, a jaded group. Standouts for me were Simon Pegg, who threw it all into his performance, and the cheerfully malevolent Timothy Dalton, who would have been twirling his moustache had he had one. I thought the Bad Boys 2 and Point Break references clever, but the climax was silly instead of fun.

--d

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