Hot Fuzz.

"The Britfilm bonanza in its current form arguably stems from the optimism sparked in 2004 by Shaun of the Dead, the zombie spoof from the creators of the cult TV show Spaced," writes Peter Bradshaw. "Between them, director Edgar Wright and co-authors and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost cheered us all up after a depressing welter of mockney-gangsters and persuaded us, as it were, to remove our collective big toe from the shotgun-trigger." In Hot Fuzz, the team offers "plenty of irrepressible fun, an interestingly sophisticated sense of the fictional differences between British and American crime - and big, regular laughs."

Also in the Guardian: Jason Solomons talks with Wright and Pegg and Pegg himself: "Americans can fully appreciate irony. They just don't feel entirely comfortable using it on each other, in case it causes damage. A bit like how we feel about guns."

"Hot Fuzz has its problems," writes the Telegraph's David Gritten. "It's overlong, and finally falls apart, stuttering towards a number of indecisive endings. But mostly it's a smart, funny, affectionate love letter to all things uncool - and far more skilful than its self-effacing humour suggests."

Four out of five stars from Wendy Ide in the London Times.

"Imagine, if you will, The Wicker Man and High Plains Drifter forming a loose alliance with The League of Gentlemen, Midsomer Murders and Heartbeat; then stir in a whole bunch of action movies featuring maverick cops or feds," writes a somewhat less enthusiastic Anthony Quinn in the Independent. "You have to admire the nerve, even if the comedy doesn't hit as many true notes as the first film did."

Posted by dwhudson at February 19, 2007 5:47 AM