Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bad Boys meets Shaun of the Dead.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
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Hot Fuzz
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
Based on 121 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a hilarious yet extremely gory crime comedy featuring graphic violence and strong language, making it unsuitable for younger audiences. While many find the comedic elements enjoyable, the excessive bloodshed and swearing are often emphasized, leading to mixed opinions on its age appropriateness.
- graphic violence
- strong language
- hilarious comedy
- age inappropriate
- comedic tone
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
The wickedly clever English minds behind "rom-zom-com" Shaun of the Dead are back with another half-spoof, half-homage to a classic Hollywood genre: the high-octane buddy cop flick. In HOT FUZZ, Sergeant Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), a tightly wound London cop whose arrest record is 400 times higher than anyone else's is showing up his colleagues, so the department rewards him by assigning him to a sleepy country town called Sandford, where there are no recorded murders -- but the accidental deaths are astronomical. Sergeant Angel, who's all business, is annoyed with his new post and his new partner, Danny (Nick Frost). The blubbery, childlike son of the department's inspector (Jim Broadbent), Danny is obsessed with Hollywood action films and impressed with Angel's past as a city cop -- "Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?" he demands to know (a hint to the audience of what's to come). Sandford, as it turns out, isn't as idyllic and crime-free as it looks. All those "accidents" are really murder most foul, but only Nick and Danny want to follow the leads to the truth, which culminates in an unrelentingly grisly -- but still funny -- climax that's full of every action cliché in the Hollywood playbook.
Is It Any Good?
Hot Fuzz is a worthy follow-up to Shaun of the Dead and cements Pegg, Frost, and director Edgar Wright as creative talents to watch. Real-life best mates (or "heterosexual life partners," as they call themselves) Simon Pegg and Nick Frost again prove that their on-screen chemistry is combustible -- and hilarious.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how this film parodies Hollywood blockbuster action flicks. What are some good and bad examples of that genre? What specific elements of those movies is this film making fun of? Does it succeed? Why? Is the violence appropriate to the story, or does it go too far? Is all of the gun violence upsetting? Families can also discuss how media helps people find common ground. Kids: Do you and your friends bond over movies the way Nick and Danny do?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 19, 2007
- On DVD or streaming : July 31, 2007
- Cast : Jim Broadbent , Nick Frost , Simon Pegg
- Director : Edgar Wright
- Studio : Rogue Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 121 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violent content including some graphic images, and language.
- Last updated : November 8, 2019
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