Blu-ray Review: Hot Fuzz (Ultimate Edition)

Release Date: September 22nd, 2009
Running Time: 121 minutes

The Film

Shaun of the Dead blew me away. I became instant an instant fan of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost. I eagerly awaited their next film and practically squealed with glee when I found out they were going to tackle the buddy cop genre. Hot Fuzz is one of those films that is so dense with comedy that it gets better every time you watch it. The Ultimate Edition Blu-ray is a stand-out title in every respect and should not be missed.

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a pure cop, body and soul. He is so productive in London that his colleagues look bad by comparison. As a result he is transferred to the suburbs to a small paradise of a town called Sandford. He immediately arrests some underage kids drinking in a pub along with a man about to drive drunk. The man is actually Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), the son of Inspector Frank Butterman (Jim Broadbent) and Angel’s new partner. Danny is a likable goofball who is utterly entranced with Angel. Danny loves action movies (particularly Bad Boys II and Point Break), and Angel’s decorated record represents everything Danny has always wanted to be. He wants to shoot guns in the air, say cool lines, and get the bad guys, just like Angel. Other co-workers include a pair of detectives known as The Andys (Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall), and Doris Thatcher (Olivia Colman), the butt of every sexual joke, including her own.

Angel is bored out of his mind in Sandford. His biggest case involves an escaped swan! Angel’s constant will to follow the law to the letter doesn’t ingratiate him to the locals either. With nothing else to do, he and Danny slowly begin to bond. However, mysterious and grisly accidents begin to pop up all over town. Why is the murder rate so low in Sandford but the accident rate is so high? Angel thinks the accidents could be murders and proceeds to grill the townsfolk, especially supermarket manager Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton), but nothing sticks. When Angel is attacked in his hotel room, he is convinced that there is foul play in Sandford. The Neighbourhood Watch Alliance may hold the truth to everything. With Danny’s help Angel is determined to get to the bottom of it all, no matter who he has to arrest.

Hot Fuzz continues to grow on me with each subsequent viewing. It is less of a parody (by today’s standards) and more of an open love letter to buddy cop action movies. The story is played straight and the events/gags celebrate action movies at every turn through time tested clichés that are expected and enjoyed in the genre. The actors all deliver fantastic performances and flesh out the residents of Sandford, but it is the relationship between Angel and Danny that is at the core of the film. The platonic love that forms between them brings a genuine heart to the story. That’s what separates this film from other parodies—you actually care about these characters and are invested in their lives. Danny represents the audience; a cop who simply wants to live out the movie version of his profession. When Angel gives him that chance he embraces it, as does the audience.

The action scenes are a blast, whether it is rubber-burning car chases or fence-hoping foot pursuits. The film ends with a town-wide shoot-out sequence as good as anything seen in Bad Boys II. The gore is no slouch either; plenty of the red stuff is splashed around, and there are a few key moments of surprising bodily harm. The film never stops being entertaining, somehow managing to walk the line between numerous genres with constant referential winks but also a solid story that you want to see play out. I cannot recommend Hot Fuzz enough–just say “yarp” to this movie!

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.35:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. The pristine town features gorgeous colors. The green grass, the vibrant flowers, the paint on the houses—it all looks phenomenal. The blood also comes through with cringe-worthy crimson clarity. The level of fine detail is top-notch and shows off the intricate production design. The people of Sandford take immense pride in their town, and HD allows you to see every little detail and texture supporting that fact. Detail remains consistent in wide shots as well as the more chaotic action moments. Black levels are consistent but could be just a touch darker. The print is clean and video noise is not a problem, making for one fine transfer.

The audio is offered in a reference quality English DTS HD 5.1 master lossless audio track as well as French/Spanish DTS 5.1 Surround Sound with English/French/Spanish subtitles. This is an explosive mix worthy of the action movies that Hot Fuzz pays homage to. The surrounds are constantly active, whether it is to portray the serene ambience of Sandford or to explode in full-on action sequences. Car chases, fights, shoot-outs—they all found fantastic, accentuated by smooth pans and strategically placed effects. The mayhem of the final extended action scene rivals the most boisterous lossless tracks out there. The immense clarity draws attention to the specifics of the sound design, most notably with the wide variety of firearms that Angel and Danny use in the end. The track proves one thing: not only does Hot Fuzz celebrate action films, it is also a classic entry into the genre!

The Extras

This is one of the few titles that actually lives up to the Ultimate Edition name. There is more content offered here than most fans will ever have the time to sift through.

The U-Control options are very basic, letting you bring up either Storyboards or a “Fuzz-O-Meter” trivia track.

Five commentary tracks are offered! FIVE! The first is with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright and is similar to their Shaun of the Dead track. It is an informative, lively track with plenty of production information and discussion about influences from other action films.

The “Sanford Police Service” track includes: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, Jim Broadbent, Rafe Speall, Kevin Eldon, and Olivia Colman. This is a crowded track full of laughs and friendship. It is like watching the film with much of the cast rattling off anecdotes; you won’t learn too much, but you’ll have a good time. Likewise the “Village People” track includes Kenneth Cranham, Timothy Dalton, Paul Freeman, and Edward Woodward. This is a similar but less engaging track compared to the police one, but Timothy Dalton saves it with his charm and charisma.

A new track features Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino. It is less focused on Hot Fuzz and more of a passionate discussion about filmmaking and buddy cop films in general. This is a must-listen for fans of either filmmaker or for cinephiles in general.

Lastly, the “Real-Fuzz” track features real-life officers Andy Leafe and Nick Eckland who provided research for the film. It is less entertaining than the other tracks and is best suited for die-hard fans trying to absorb every last bit of information about the film.

“The Fuzzball Rally: Uncut” is 70 minutes of footage following Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost on their 10-city US promotional tour. It is rife with interviews, Q & A sessions, etc. Honestly, it’s a big long for my tastes, but those guys are always entertaining to watch.

The “Evidence Room” section contains a number of special features:

“Conclusive: We Made Hot Fuzz” is a standard 30-minute making-of featurette.

“Speculative” contains 13 video blogs running 30 minutes that chronicle the production, focusing on different topics such as costumes design and training. The information is more focused than “Conclusive.” Likewise, “Forensics” has 8 more featurettes totaling 45 minutes on a wide variety of production-related topics. Together with “Speculative” you will get a rather complete look at the filmmaking process.

“Heresay” has two different sections. “Plot Holes” (3 minutes) fills in some missing story bits through drawings and narration from the actors. “Special Effects” (6 minutes) contains before-and-after examinations of 8 sequences.

“Falsified: Dead Right” is a 10-minute short film by Edgar Wright that is essentially his first cop movie, made in 1993. It features optional commentary by Wright or Wright and Pegg together along with a short “making of” piece.

Lastly, “Photographic” finishes the Evidence Room with a collection of Still Galleries.

“The Man Who Would Be Fuzz” is a short scene with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost giving props to two well known actors in their own way.

“Hot Funk” has clips from the censored TV version of the film.

“Danny’s Notebook: The Other Side” shows the flip-book sketches Danny created.

“Inadmissible: Deleted Scenes” is a 20-minute collection of 22 excised, and often hilarious, moments from the film. Optional commentary is available by Wright. An “Outtakes” section runs 10 minutes as well.

A collection of random content continues the extensive special features, including: Storyboard Galleries; 4 iTunes podcasts running 16 minutes; 5 VW blogs made in conjunction with the film that total 21 minutes; the Theatrical/Director’s Cut Trailers; and UK TV spots.

Finally, the disc is D-Box enabled and has My Scenes Bookmarking through BD-Live.

Whew! Now that is how you make an Ultimate Edition!

Final Thoughts

Close to technical perfection and bursting at the seams with content, Hot Fuzz: Ultimate Edition is not only the best release the film has ever seen, it is also one of the most comprehensive titles on the format.