Hot Fuzz is a 2007 British action comedy film directed by Edgar Wright, written by Wright and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost. The three and the film’s producer Nira Park had previously worked together on the television series Spaced and the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead. The film follows two police officers attempting to solve a series of mysterious deaths in Sandford, a fictional small English town.
Over a hundred action films were used as inspiration for developing the script. Filming took place over eleven weeks in early 2006, and featured an extensive cast along with various uncredited cameos. Visual effects were developed by ten artists to expand on or add explosions, gore, and gunfire scenes.
Debuting on 14 February 2007 in the United Kingdom and 20 April in the United States, Hot Fuzz received critical and commercial success. Shortly after the film’s release, two different soundtracks were released in the UK and US.
The film is the second in Wright and Pegg’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy and was preceded by 2004’s Shaun of the Dead and followed by 2013’s The World’s End, each of them featuring a different flavour of Cornetto ice cream. It is also the most financially successful film in the trilogy.
Cast:
Sandford Police Service
Simon Pegg as Sergeant (Sgt) Nicholas “Nick” Angel
Nick Frost as Police Constable (PC) Danny Butterman
Jim Broadbent as Inspector Frank Butterman
Paddy Considine as Detective Sergeant (DS) Andy Wainwright
Rafe Spall as Detective Constable (DC) Andy Cartwright
Kevin Eldon as Sergeant (Sgt) Tony Fisher
Olivia Colman as Police Constable (PC) Doris Thatcher
Karl Johnson as Police Constable (PC) Bob Walker
Bill Bailey as twin-brother Desk Sergeants (Sgt) Turner (both)
Neighbourhood Watch Alliance and Associates
Timothy Dalton as Simon Skinner
Edward Woodward as Prof. Tom Weaver
Billie Whitelaw as Joyce Cooper
Eric Mason as Maj. Bernard Cooper
Stuart Wilson as Dr. Robin Hatcher
Paul Freeman as Rev. Philip Shooter
Rory McCann as Michael “Lurch” Armstrong
Kenneth Cranham as James Reaper
Maria Charles as Mrs. Reaper
Peter Wight as Roy Porter
Julia Deakin as Mary Porter
Trevor Nichols as Greg Prosser
Elizabeth Elvin as Sheree Prosser
Patricia Franklin as Annette Roper
Lorraine Hilton as Amanda Paver
Tim Barlow as Mr. Treacher
Anne Reid as Leslie Tiller
Sandford residents
Ben McKay as Peter Cocker
Adam Buxton as Tim Messenger
David Threlfall as Martin Blower
Lucy Punch as Eve Draper
David Bradley as Arthur Webley, the farmer
Ron Cook as George Merchant
Stephen Merchant as Peter Ian Staker
Alice Lowe as Tina
Cameos
Martin Freeman as Met Sgt.
Steve Coogan (uncredited) as Met Insp.
Bill Nighy as Met Ch. Insp.
Peter Jackson (uncredited) as a man dressed as Father Christmas
Cate Blanchett (uncredited) as Janine
Critical reception
From Rotten Tomatoes (91% approval)
The brilliant minds behind Shaun of the Dead successfully take a shot at the buddy cop genre with Hot Fuzz. The result is a bitingly satiric and hugely entertaining parody.
My review (and a quote from the film)
‘Wot He Said”