Ice Cream and Blood

This may seem like an odd combination and strange title, but it is actually the name of a trilogy of British movies (also known as the Cornetto Trilogy – a type of ice-cream in the UK). Directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the films pay comedic homage to different genres. You may ask how the three movies connect together – they do not. All three movies have Pegg and Frost playing completely different characters. The only thing the three motion pictures have in common is that there is a lot of ice-cream and blood in them. One of the benefits of the no-connect trilogy is that you can watch them in any order. Today, I am going to review the second film, 2007’s Hot Fuzz.

Written by Wright and Pegg, the story follows Nicholas Angel (Pegg), a top-notch London cop who is too good for his own good. The top bosses, featuring excellent cameo appearances from British greats Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins of the Hobbit trilogy), Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder) and Bill Nighy (Love Actually), tell him that he is making them look bad which is why he is being promoted (as punishment) to the little village of Sandford, whose claim to fame is that it has the lowest crime rate as well as the honour of being Village of the Year countless consecutive times.

It does not take long for the quick-acting police sergeant to clash with the small town mentality. He arrests a group of underage youths for drinking in a pub as well as his soon to be partner Danny Butterman (Frost) for drunk driving the day before he starts his job. These arrests go against Inspector Frank Butterman’s (Jim Broadbent) philosophy; namely, that these small crimes should go unpunished for ‘the greater good’ of the community.

Angel is then introduced to the sedate and out of practice police force as well as the Neighbourhood Watch Alliance, a group of community members who have set up rules for the village that are monitored by way of walkie-talkies to communicate and cameras that are strategically placed to observe the streets.

It does not take long for Angel to observe a ridiculous amount of so called ‘accidents’ that occur to community members; from a bizarre car collision and a house exploding, to a church pier falling on someone. The sergeant is confounded by the fact that the entire police force believes these happenings are flukes while he is convinced that they are murders. This leads to a whirlwind investigation full of twists, turns, danger and violence.

This is an excellent story that pays comedic homage to the action genre in violent and powerful fashion. Those who know the movies Point Break and Bad Boys will not only see clips of the films in Hot Fuzz, but will see scenes spoofed as well. Wright and Pegg also took full advantage of using the small town setting. This motion picture makes us believe that we are observing the perfect little community, yet underneath the surface we will find murder, deceit, treachery and quite a few buried secrets.

The cast must be commended for a job well done. Pegg and Frost have excellent chemistry. They play off of each other so well, showing once again that there is something special about a comedy team that contains a straight-laced slim man and a physically active, bumbling, heavy-set fellow. Former James Bond Timothy Dalton is deliciously creepy as Simon Skinner, the supermarket owner. He shows great comedic timing and is absolutely hilarious in this role. Rory McCann (Games of Thrones) is very good as the childlike behemoth Michael Armstrong. David Bradley (Filch from Harry Potter) makes a very funny cameo as a man who is extremely difficult to understand. Jim Broadbent is superb as always. Finally, two very sneaky cameos can be found in this film. Firstly, Cate Blanchett plays Angel’s ex-girlfriend Janine, but do not look for her face as the entire scene is acted with a mask over her mouth and nose. Secondly, Lord of the Rings trilogy director Peter Jackson makes a brief appearance as the Santa Claus who stabs Angel in the hand at the beginning of the movie.

Hot Fuzz is a roller-coaster ride of an action flick. If you are not a fan of violence, this film is probably not for you. But if you can get around it – the witty dialogue, great story, amazing acting, adrenaline pumping final action scene, and homage to the action genre make this film more than entertaining. So – grab your favourite ice-cream and watch Hot Fuzz; it might just blow your mine!

Trilogy: Shaun of the Dead

Hot Fuzz

              The World’s End