Hot Fuzz: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''"You wanna be a big cop in a small town? Fuck off up the model village."''}}

 

 

Nicholas Angel is ''the'' top [[British Coppers|London bobby]] who pretty much single-handedly keeps crime down. He is, in the words of his former girlfriend Janine (an uncredited and [[The Faceless|heavily disguised]] [[Cate Blanchett]]), incapable of "switching off". His superiors think he is doing too good a job, [[Tall Poppy Syndrome|making the rest of the Met look bad]], so they [[Kicked Upstairs|promote him out of the way]] and make him a sergeant in the [[Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here|sleepy town]] of Sandford, Gloucestershire. Sandford is the winner of the Best Village In Britain award for several years running; a village renowned for having no crime... but many accidents. Being set in [[The West Country]] means all the typical stereotypes of that region are present, such as thick Somerset accents, farmer folk, tweed and wellies and some good old "Oo-ars!"

 

 

[[It Got Worse|Then]] a series of grisly incidents occur, leading Angel to suspect foul play.

 

 

 

 

* [[The Ace]]: Nicholas is actually a [[Deconstruction]] of this trope, being an insufferable workaholic who annoys everyone with [[Insistent Terminology]] and who makes the rest of the London [[Insistent Terminology|Service]] look bad. It's reconstructed later on.

* [[Acting for Two]]: Bill Bailey playing both Sgt. Turners

* [[Affably Evil]]: {{spoiler|Chief Inspector Butterman and Simon Skinner}}.

* [[Affectionate Parody]]: Of both slasher films and buddy cop/action films.

* [[Agony of the Feet]]: Alas, poor Doctor Hatcher. You can even see a toe flying away.

* [[Badass Grandpa]]: {{spoiler|The NWA}}.

* [[Badass Moustache]]: Both the Andys though Paddy Considine's is truly spectacular. Timothy Dalton has a pencil thin, evil variation which is completely awesome.

* [[Bad Bad Acting]]: The ''Romeo and Juliet'' tribute. {{spoiler|The reason why the leading actors involved are killed.}}

* [[Bad Guy Bar]]: Subverted, {{spoiler|and played straight - the pub owners are evil. Everyone else who isn't Skinner there isn't... and eventually dead.}}

* [[Bottomless Magazines]]: Averted, guns are constantly being shown reloaded.

* [[Buddy Cop Show]]

* [[Blatant Lies]]: When Angel's throwing the underage patrons out of the pub during his first night in Sandford:

{{quote|'''Nicholas''': You. When's your birthday?

* [[Bleep, Dammit!]]: when Angel is getting a tour of the new precinct, a [[Swear Jar]] is shown. Each swear is given various rates, while some letters are replaced by [[Symbol Swearing]]. ''Except'' the word with the ''highest'' rate, [[Country Matters|Cunt]].

* [[Bloody Hilarious]]: This movie doesn't shy from bloodspray in the least. {{spoiler|Tim Messenger gets his ''[[Your Head Asplode|head]]'' smashed by the tip of a church spire in one of the goriest scenes ever seen in a comedy movie, and it's so over the top, it's bizarrely humorous.}}

'''Danny''' after trying to swallow his Cornetto whole: ''ARGH!'' }}

* [[Brainwashed]]: {{spoiler|Played with. Angel says it outright that Frank had brainwashed the police officers into believing that all the murders going on were really accidents. They weren't good old mind-slaves, it worked like a [[Weirdness Censor]], which they all snapped out of, when Angel finally pulls the wool from over their eyes.}}

** The Andys mock Nicholas by suggesting he go through the phonebook, starting with Aaron A. Aaronson. Aaron A. Aaronson actually exists (causing a double-take from Nick) and plays a minor role in the climax.

** Frank Butterman's reference to ice cream in the station. {{spoiler|After Skinner impales his jaw on a model church spire, he whines and says he'll need lots of ice cream for that. Angel says, you guessed it, they have plenty of ice cream in the station.}}

* [[Camera Abuse]]: When {{spoiler|Tim Messenger}} is murdered, blood splashes on the camera.

* [[Captain Obvious]]: Combines with [[Ask a Stupid Question]] when Angel asks P.I. Staker what the swan looks like. {{spoiler|It's a swan.}}

* [[The Cavalry Arrives Late]]: Complete with a [[Michael Bay]]-style shot of a helicopter flying overhead.

* [[Chekhov's Armory]]: Nearly everything in the first half of the film sets up something for the second half. And in a literal sense, [[Meaningful Name|Webley's]] Barn, then the Evidence Room.

*** But strangely, Angel's superb skill with [[Red Herring|bicycles]] never comes into play.

*** There's about three shots of Angel exercising his hands before he goes to sleep. {{spoiler|When he's fighting Skinner, Skinner catches his punch and starts to deliver a beatdown. Half-way through, Angel catches Skinner's fist and crushes it with a audible crunch.}}

* [[Cool Shades]]: The cool shades are retro style, an obvious nod to 70's and 80's detective shows.

* [[Comically Missing the Point]]: One of the Turners sees Angel leave the station {{spoiler|after his supposed death, packing a metric shit-ton of heat}}, and muses that no-one told him that Sandford had a mounted division.

'''Underage boy''': 22nd of February.

'''Nicholas''': What year?

'''Nicholas''': ''[[Get Out!]].'' }}

** Roughly 50% of Danny Butterman's lines.

*** '''SWAN!!!!'''

* [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: The Sanford Police Service pull themselves together for the final battle.

* [[Curse Cut Short]]: "...Cousin Sissy can go and f-"

* [[Danger Takes a Backseat]]: {{spoiler|SWAN!}}

* [[Dramatic Gun Cock]]: Parodied with a scene in which a group of heavily-armed officers charge toward a building accompanied by the sound of literally dozens of gun cocks as each of them cocks his/her weapon four or five times. Without cocking it.

* [[Dual-Wielding]]: Employed impressively early ''[[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|with pens]]''.

* [[Eagle-Eye Detection]]: Angel utilizes this to build on his theory that the murders are being committed as part of a scheme for a property deal. {{spoiler|Plausible, but wrong.}}

* [[Entertainingly Wrong]]: Nick's original accusation, and what drives him. {{spoiler|The truth is far, far more silly... and dangerous.}}

** {{spoiler|And the [[Badass Preacher|priest]].}}

* [[Guttural Growler]]: Nicholas picks this up {{spoiler|in the gas station after fleeing Sandford, and continues to growl like a chain smoker through most of the final showdown}}.

* [[He's Back]]: And [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|in an oh-so-awesome way!]]

* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: Nicholas and Danny, as well as the two Andys, qualify for this trope.

* [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]: Many examples, some of them quite subtle, but here's a big one: {{spoiler|Skinner slips on a model van sporting the logo of his own supermarket and lands on a model of the church roof, which he previously used as a murder weapon.}}

* [[Human Shield]]: {{spoiler|Skinner}} tries it, only to have the shield bite him in the arm and make a break for it.

{{quote|'''"Danny"''': (listing all the stuff that he expects police work to be) Gun Fights, Car Chases; proper action and shit.

'''"Nicolas"''': Police-work is not about proper action! Or shit! }}

* [[It Was His Sled]]: Invoked in the trivia track:

{{quote|The idea of {{spoiler|there being multiple killers responsible for murder}} is inspired by Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Apologies for the spoiler. It has been out for 33 years.}}

* [[Lawful Stupid]]: Nick gets this occasionally, most notably when he spies on the {{spoiler|NWA at the castle, listening to their explanation of how they murdered a large number of people, ''including a police officer who was on to them''}} and then pulls out his badge and tells them they are all under arrest, [[What an Idiot!|as if they would really listen to him.]]

* [[Leap and Fire]]

* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]: Though the story generally sticks to the main characters, {{spoiler|it is worth note that there are 24 conspirators in Sandford's cult. Only two of them die. Mrs. Tiller is killed by her fellow members when she decides to move and Weaver is killed by the sea mine.}} There are around 50 characters that had speaking lines. Then there's the swan aka "Sandford's most wanted..."

* [[Logo Joke]]: On the UK release, the sirens going off at the beginning are timed to go along with the Universal Pictures logo as the word UNIVERSAL makes its way around the globe. Not in the US due to Universal using a sub-label, Rogue Pictures.

* [[Looks Like Cesare]]: The cashier at the petrol station where Nicholas buys supplies for his return to Sandford. He also speaks very slowly, and never changes his expression, making him extremely zombie-like. Possibly justified as he's working the [[Incredibly Lame Pun|graveyard shift.]]

* [[Minsky Pickup]]: Used at the conclusion of the ''Romeo and Juliet'' production.

* [[Misfit Mobilization Moment]]: Angel persuading the rest of the coppers to take on the NWA.

* [[Mood Whiplash]]: The movie likes to play with this, usually to help increase dramatic tension or humor value. For example, Sergeant Angel just got done relating his origin story in a heartwarming moment of bonding. Then Danny STABS HIMSELF IN THE EYE WITH A FORK!? Then he reveals it was a ketchup packet. From heartwarming to [[Eye Scream|horrific]] to [[Crowning Moment of Funny|freggin hilarious]].

* [[Motive Rant]]: When Nicholas confronts {{spoiler|the NWA}}, they go at length to explain why the murders took place, with a hefty degree of parody of similar rants, particularly their emphasis on the ''[[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?|horrible]]'' things they were responsible for.

** '''"SHUT IT!"'''

* [[Pocket Protector]]: Subverted, but not in the way you might expect. {{spoiler|"It's ketchup."}}

* [[Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner]]: "Morning..."

* [[Precision F-Strike]]: Angel goes the entire first half of the film without swearing, which adds a lot of impact when he finally exclaims that "Leslie Tiller was ''fucking'' murdered!"

** And again at the end of the movie to indicate that Angel has lightened up considerably, he responds to have a waste basket thrown at his head with, "You cheeky fucker!"

{{quote|{{spoiler|'''Nicholas''': Michael! Michael! Think for a moment- Is this really what you want to be doing?}}

{{spoiler|'''Michael''': (thinks for a moment) Yarp (yes).}} }}

** [[Punch-Punch-Punch Uh-Oh]]: "It's not your village anymore"

* [[Punny Name]]: Some of the characters, such as P.I. Staker ("Piss-taker"). When Nicholas first hears the name, he assumes it's a prank call.

* [[Rare Guns]]: {{spoiler|Tom Weaver}} decides to attack Angel with a blunderbuss which is an early type of shotgun that was obsolete by the mid 19th century. A modern day shotgun probably would have been [[Rule of Cool|cheaper...]]

* [[Really Seventeen Years Old]]: Nicholas throws a bunch of underage drinkers who lied about their real age out of the bar.

** Additionally, after his encounter with the deranged Father Christmas, Nicholas is still performing physical therapy to get his hand back up to full strength as the movie commences.

* [[Reassigned to Antarctica]]: The West Country, actually.

** "Morning, Sergeant~"

** The hostage situations.

* [[Sarcastic Confession]]: With {{spoiler|Simon Skinner,}} who gives one to {{spoiler|Angel}} when they first meet.

* [[Serious Business]]: {{spoiler|The "Best Village in Britain" award is ''[[Serious Business]]''. Danny's mother ''committed suicide'' when Sandford didn't win ''once''. Her husband and the rest of the NWA ''killed people'' to make sure it would never lose again.}}

* [[Shout-Out]]: To [[Shaun of the Dead]]'s fence jumping scene.

** Also to [[Shaun of the Dead]]:

* [[Shown Their Work]]: A lot of police officers were talked to in the discussion of this. They liked the paperwork scenes. If you have the DVD, you'll find out a lot more of what Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright found out on the "Fuzz Facts" trivia track.

** For example, Sandford is the name of the fictional town traditionally used in UK police training exercises. And how the official vocabulary guidelines have to say "police ''[[Insistent Terminology|service]].''"

* [[Shut Up, Kirk]]: "Fuck off, grasshopper!" said in response to Nick trying to convince {{spoiler|Reverend Shooter}} to go quietly.

* [[Sleep Cute]]: Danny and Angel. [[Ho Yay|Awwwwwwwww...]]

...

'''Andy:''' Murder, murder, murder...change the ''fucking'' record! *clink* Thank you, Andy. }}

* [[Taking the Bullet]]: {{spoiler|Danny takes a load of buckshot to the chest when the NWA head shows up in the epilogue to kill him.}}

* [[Technical Pacifist]]: Nick Angel- While he does engage in a shootout near the end of the movie, he never ''kills'' anyone, instead either shooting them non-lethally or using the environment to incapacitate the others. He is, after all, still a cop.

** "PUNCH! THAT! SHIT!"

* [[Thematic Series]]: It's the second movie in a thematic trilogy (alternately called "the Blood and Cornettos trilogy" and "the Three Colours Cornetto trilogy"), of which ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'' was the first. The movies have no characters or plot points in common, but they're both [[Bloody Hilarious|extremely gory]] [[Black Comedy|black comedies]] that [[Affectionate Parody|affectionately parody]] popular action movie genres and feature [[Simon Pegg]] and Nick Frost playing a pair of [[Vitriolic Best Buds]] who can't live without each other.

* [[Those Two Guys]]: The Andys.

** With the exception of {{spoiler|Tom Weaver, who most certainly died. Also, it is out-right stated that Mrs. Tiller was part of the NWA. She gets killed by her own when she tries to move away.}}

* [[Town with a Dark Secret]]

* [[Toyota Tripwire]]

** One of them does. {{spoiler|The other shows up dead the next time he's seen...}}

** Inspired by a real life anecdote the writers heard about a cop who did need a local officer to translate for him.

* [[Utopia Justifies the Means]]/[[Well-Intentioned Extremist|Well Intentioned Extremists]]: Where utopia is {{spoiler|winning the Village of the Year award}} and the means is a slew of murders.

* [[Verbal Tic]]: Tim Messenger greets everyone with "Hi-Hi."

* [[Villainous Valour]]: After the shootdown on the city centre, the polices storm the supermarket. And what the workers of the supermarket do? They fight a police squad clad in riot gear by trowhing miscallenous products and knives at them.

** "He's not even from 'round here!"

** "You little fucker!"

* [[Visual Pun]]: Tony Fisher is first seen in front of a chart with several unflattering words "Indecisive" "Late" "Unfit" "Rude" etc. pointing at him.

* [[Weirdness Censor]]: Danny rescues Angel from the {{spoiler|NWA meeting he crashes}} by {{spoiler|pretending to stab him}}, so he obviously thought that Angel was in mortal danger. In the next scene, he professes his ignorance of all the goings-on.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prime Focus]]

[[Category:Buddy Cop Show]]

[[Category:Films of the 2000s]]

[[Category:Bromantic Comedy]]