Re-Review: Hot Fuzz

As I begin to rewatch movies, I always find myself finding new appreciation for the films I watch. Nowhere is this more clear than with the movie "Hot Fuzz", a terrific entry into the Cornetto Trilogy formed by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, and Simon Pegg. This movie is a cop movie with an edge of satire, fully knowing its predecessors but never playing it too straight to where its humor falls flat. Let's break this down. I'll be keeping my formatting from the Avatar review as I try to play this blog as more than just some amateur hour ordeal.

PLOT: Cop movie or comedy?

This movie, while sometimes unclear in its presentation, fully pays off. The plot is woven as a lie; you're fed information leading you to one conclusion while the other is played off in the background, seemingly not even important enough to consider. This conclusion, the truthful one, is so hilarious and well-written that the plot will completely throw you off by the end. While the beats hit similar to most cop films, this one has a solid twist by not only being set in remote England, but also by highlighting the tropes of many of these films.

CHARACTERS: Want something from the shop?

What could easily fall as stereotypes are played up fully as fleshed-out and funny people. These characters all feel like real people, even when they're made cartoonishly evil to the point of irredeemability. Nicholas Angel is a protagonist straight outta Bad Boys while Danny Butterman acts as a mega fanboy in an adorable and hilarious performance. Making the villains these immature, senseless people really does make it feel all the more realistic because (SPOILERS) their goals are worthless and sometimes even petty. Watch the movie to understand more.

SHOTS: Cuts, cuts everywhere.

And now we move to something interesting, frenetic camerawork I actually like. The film strangely uses quick cuts and shaky cam almost too effectively, ruining other movies that use it way worse. The shots are quickly paced to emphasize processing information quickly and make repeat viewings that much more satisfying because something on the screen shows some new information that you didn't notice before.

MUSIC: Sometimes it works.

This is an interesting point, because it's often the most underplayed thing about the movie. It services the movie just fine and sometimes enhances it further. Really depends on the scene, but honestly it's the part I have the hardest time talking about due to it being alright in an otherwise stellar movie.

WRITING: Sharp as a razor.

The writing is quick, fast-paced, and sometimes improvised to perfection. One of the things Edgar Wright is known for is his one-two punches in comedy. He avoids the "comedy comes in three" trope and prefers jokes that repeat themselves only once. This works enormously due to the actors committing to the jokes as well. Additionally, several jokes come back in various points of the movie. Even small ones like a swan breaking an arm manage to have importance in some varied way. I won't spoil any, simply due to the need for anyone to actually watch this. Additionally, they actually address paperwork in this movie. That never gets brought up in cop films, kudos to Edgar Wright.

CONS: Man, we gotta fall flat?

The ending really does drag this film down. Going overly long and ultimately falling into the tropes it mocks, the third act feels dragged out a bit by the multiple villains, but ends on a highlight with a bit of a tease towards their future as cops. That being said, it's easily the weakest part of the movie with the jokes even falling flat. Though the callbacks are still masterclass, even to the point of referencing small lines you wouldn't even remember. Aaron A. Aaronson definitely will need a call after this.

VERDICT: A worthwhile movie... on repeat viewings.

If you don't like it the first time, rewatch it. I highly encourage multiple viewings, mostly because it helps enhance your perspective of the movie. But, if you don't like it the second time, I can't help you. Just know that, of all the films I've watched, this is by far one of my most rewatched. It's just a very very VERY good movie and Edgar Wright crafted his best film by simply asking the question: What if cops actually did paperwork in movies?

Score: 9/10