Hot Fuzz

The boys were sent to the video store with instructions to rent one DVD for two ninety nine and buy the first Jason Bourne movie if it happened to be available. They came back with three DVDs, one purchased (not the one I asked for), all for twenty six bucks. Their mother flipped her lid and sent them back to the store. They came back again with two movies rented. It was all rather comical.

So we sat around a fine home-cooked meal and watched this British police comedy. It is brilliant! High levels of action, unexpected twists and turns, and dry wit throughout. It is one of those movies where the main character is the only one who isn’t crazy in some way, and he’s questionable – so it’s believable in its way, but thoroughly hilarious. The direction and timing are outstanding too, using a lot of quick takes that merge scenes in creative ways that have you going “Wha-?” just in time for the next push. Also has its macabre side, and special effects fitting for any slasher film, and a delightfully evil Timothy Dalton ingesting the scenery as one of the many loons driving the main character round the bend.

Short version: Nick Angel is an over-the-top London cop who gets shifted out to the burbs because his arrest record is embarrassing the rest of the force. He discovers the perfect village maintains its reputation through the actions of its sinister neighborhood watch committee. The story never slows down or fails to get more and more absurd. It is just splendid all the way through. We were howling.