It’s been a few years since I last saw Edward Woodward in early-morning reruns of “The Equalizer,” so I spent much of this film trying to find him. No luck—a minor disappointment, in retrospect. Still, Hot Fuzz manages to avoid the very same mistake that almost drove super-brilliant Shaun of the Dead into the ground—that is, smart and consistent humor interrupted by a final half-hour of incongruous gut-eating seriousness. The laughs herein are frequent and unfailing, and they never overpower a storyline that is itself a comment on banal action films. (A vast, ego-driven conspiracy concerning supermarkets and real estate? Not quite.)
As has already been noted on this site, this is an expertly cast film, topped off by Timothy Dalton’s Simon Skinner. The character, a suave small-town store-owner, seems tailor-made for the actor—who, in turn, is pitch-perfect—perhaps marking a revival for cinema’s second-most forgettable James Bond. The multitude of allusions to other films—Straw Dogs, Point Break, Leon—are great, and the final shoot-out made me absolutely giddy.
Beth’s Thoughts
Tom’s Thoughts
Leo’s Thoughts
by Adam Balz | Source: Rogue Pictures 35MM Theatrical Print
25 May 2007 10:48 PM | Comments (4)
Ya know, I’m so sick of the unimaginative abuse hurled toward Dalton’s Bond. He was a distinctive Bond, not forgettable at all, unless you think all the Bonds should have been Connery or Moore clones (see: Pierce Brosnan if that floats your boat). Thanks to Dalton’s trailblazing, people are more willing to accept a serious Bond characterization like Daniel Craig’s.
What, no love for George Lazenby?
And now, a few quotes from License to Kill, starring the trailblazing and extra-serious Mr. Timothy Dalton:
“Watch the birdy, you bastard.”
“We’re south of the border. It’s a man’s world.”
“If I don’t get you back in time for the wedding, I’m a dead man for sure!”
The gore in this film is extremely hilarious. Especially the clock tower scene. It definitely sets the film apart from other typical buddy cop films more than anything else.
Edward Woodward has a sizeable part in the movie— he’s the one who watches all the video feeds from the town. He’s just old now!
As a component to our recent 2008 in Review feature, this year we’re requesting submissions from our readers for their choices for the best films, DVDs, and discoveries from the past year. The results will be published later in January.
Lo
26 May 2007
4:38 AM