Hot Fuzz: 2 Disc Special Edition

Introduction

Although he appeared in the little-known channel 5 sketch show `We Know Where You Live`, `Hippies` and the cult comedy series `Spaced`, Simon Pegg only became a household name when he co-wrote and starred in the hit film `Shaun of the Dead`. `Hot Fuzz` is a film in the same vein as `SotD`, a loving homage to a film genre - not zombies this time, but action thrillers.

PC Nicholas Angel (Pegg) has been doing such a good job patrolling the streets of London that he is making the rest of the Metropolitain Police look bad, so he is promoted to sergeant on the condition that he takes his post in Sandford, the award-winning `Best Village in Britain`. In this crime-free environment, where his first case is tracking down an escaped swan, he fears that he will spend his days not doing police work whilst being quizzed about his time in the Met. by his partner Danny (Nick Frost, also from `SotD`). His fears are allayed when people begin dying in bloody and mysterious accidents and Angel is the only member of Sandford`s police service that believes the deaths are murder.

Directed and written by Edgar Wright with Pegg as his co-writer (the same duo responsible for `Spaced` and `Shaun of the Dead`), `Hot Fuzz` is full of intentional clichés and film references to numerous action/cop movies such as `Magnum Force`, `Point Break` and `Lethal Weapon`. There are also nods to `The Wicker Man` and `The Omen`, which are made all the more amusing by the casting of Edward Woodward and Billie Whitelaw.

It`s a shame that the disc begins with the excruciatingly irritating "You wouldn`t steal a..." anti-piracy warning, which have no place on legitimate DVDs and are guaranteed NOT to be on a pirate copy.

Video

As with most films that appear on DVD only a matter of months after the end of their theatrical release, the transfer is flawless and the anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio allows for more expansive shots of the firearms-related carnage in the third act.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 EX soundtrack is extremely impressive, with clear dialogue and enough use of the sub-woofer to shake the dust from your shelves! David Arnold`s score is excellent and works well with the original music soundtrack.

Features

Disc One

The first commentary is by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg and is a funny, informative and quite detailed track, with plenty of information. The second, by the "The Sandford Police Service" (Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Kevin Eldon and Olivia Coleman) is your more typical yak-track, where they all have a good laugh, whilst imparting some information about the film. Next comes "The Sanford Village People" (Kenneth Cranham, Timothy Dalton, Paul Freeman and Edward Woodward) who are either caught up in watching the film or chatting to one another about gigs throughout their careers. This is like sitting next to a table of `luvvies` in a restaurant and eavesdropping on their conversations. Finally, "The Real Fuzz" Andy Leafe and Nick Eckland, who were advisors to the film, give their very first commentary. One is a police officer in Wells, where the film was shot, and where he has spent his whole career, whereas the other is like Nicholas Angel and worked for the Metropolitain Police before moving to a rural station. They quickly run out of things to say, but the inclusion of this track is welcome as they are able to point out the differences between their experiences and how the police are depicted in the film.

The "Fuzz-O-Meter" trivia track is funny and detailed, with plenty of information about filming locations, film references and the actors. Some of the information is duplicated in the first commentary, but this adds a lot to the film and points out quite a lot that makes the second viewing so much more rewarding.

There is a `Storyboards` option, where you watch the film and press the `enter` button every time a police badge appears at the top corner to be shown how that scene was storyboarded.

"The Man Who Would Be Fuzz" is a short scene from the film only with Simon Pegg doing a Michael Caine impersonation.

There are 10 minutes of genuinely funny outtakes, with actors corpsing, forgetting their lines, missing cues and having problems with props.

The "Hot Funk" featurette shows the scenes that will be inserted into the airline version of the film, with plenty of `funk!`, `funking` and `cheese and rice`.

You also get to see the other side of Danny`s flipbook, so you know what he showed Nicholas Angel in the film.

The disc is rounded off with a theatrical trailer, two TV spots and a commercial for the `Director`s Cut` and there is a fence-related `Easter Egg` which isn`t too hard to find.


Disc Two

There are 30 minutes of deleted and extended scenes with optional audio commentary by Edgar Wright in which he explains why the scenes were trimmed or cut.

The "Making Of" documentary runs at a healthy 30 minutes and is a fairly comprehensive affair, without overlapping too much on the other extra features.

The 13 "Video Blogs" are shorts that were filmed to be shown on the film`s website are designed not to give too much away but whet the appetite. They are amusing but not the sort of thing you`ll revisit.

There are 7 featurettes, covering different aspects of the film:
- Art Department (4:50)
- Friends & Family (5:10)
- Cranks, Cranes & Controlled Chaos (5:30)
- Here Comes the Fuzz (4:18)
- Return to Sandford (11:08)
- Edgar & Simon`s Flip Chart (14:03)
- Simon Muggs (2:08)
- Sergeant Fisher`s Perfect Sunday (1:07)

The "Plot Holes & Comparisons" section is set out like a comic book and Tim Messenger, PC Danny Futterman and Sergeant Nicholas Angel talk you through three scenes which can only be explained by employing `movie logic`.

The `Special Effects: Before and After` option shows you how CGI was used to create 8 of the explosions, murders and stunts.

In 1993, Edgar Wright, then aged 18, made `Dead Right`, a `Dirty Harry` influenced 40 minute short film on Super-VHS and you can watch it in all its `glory` on its own or with commentary by Edgar Wright who fauns over it, (tongue largely in cheek), or with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost wishing they were dead rather than watching it! There is a short `Am-Blam: Making Dead Right` featurette.

Poster and photo galleries round off this disc.

Conclusion

As a big fan of `Spaced` and someone who loved `Shaun of the Dead`, I went in to `Hot Fuzz` with very high hopes. The film begins like an episode of `Dixon of Dock Green`, before a series of inventive and (pardon the pun) well-executed `accidents` convinces Angel that a murderer is at work. He begins a one-man investigation that turns into a Michael Bay-style shootout involving the entire village. It could have been clunky, but the three acts follow seamlessly and the film works both as an action film and as a parody of the genre.

The cast is almost a `Who`s Who` of British film and TV talent, with a James Bond, The Equaliser himself and a host of other screen notables, all of whom are superb, especially Nicholas Angel`s prime suspect: the moustachioed Timothy Dalton, the owner of the local Somerfield. Look out for uncredited cameos from Peter Jackson and Cate Blanchett.

As in `Shaun of the Dead`, the key to the film is the on-screen character relationship between off-screen friends Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who have a great rapport. They make the film a buddy movie, justifying the references to `Point Break` and `Bad Boys II` and Edgar Wright shows his versatility as a director, with copious use of quick cuts, over-saturated montage sequences and crash zooms that would do action directors like Michael Bay and Tony Scott proud.

At the cinema, I felt it was slightly too long and haven`t changed my opinion, although the multiple endings are a staple of the genre, with many action films never finishing when they should. Although I enjoyed `Hot Fuzz`, I preferred `Shaun of the Dead`, but whether this is because I`m a bigger horror fan than I am of action movies, or because `SotD` is a better film, is something I will never know. Saying that, `Hot Fuzz` is very funny, thoroughly entertaining and a superb DVD package.