Hot Fuzz

Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, the team that created Shaun of the Dead, return with this funny film about a high-octane London cop (Pegg) getting relocated to a rural and supposedly quiet location. Upon his arrival, people start dying mysterious deaths, and he must swing into action. Nick Frost, Pegg’s video-game-playing sidekick from Shaun, joins him again as his police-officer sidekick. Director Wright employs the same zippy style that made Shaun so much fun, and Pegg is one of the great comic actors at work today. The film is a bit long, and those who don’t laugh much at British humor could find this tedious. It has a slow middle, but it really comes to life in its final act, with some great jabs at director Michael Bay. Fans of Shaun will be happy to know that there’s plenty of cartoon violence. Keep your eyes open for cameos by Cate Blanchett and Peter Jackson.