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Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Sanford village police officers, attempt to catch a local escaped swan.

By ANNA FREEMAN

ìHot Fuzzî is a funny, adrenaline-infused murder mystery, set in a picturesque town in the British countryside.

In spite of the scenery, any viewers who might think this another cute, British family comedy should keep in mind that director and co-writer Edgar Wright is best known for his zombie movie-spoof ìShaun of the Deadî ó and as one might expect, does not have a weak stomach when it comes to blood-spurting.

Viewers should leave the kids at home, but I would expect everyone who is able to handle a little Hollywoodesque gore to enjoy every moment of this cop comedy-thriller. It is one of the few films I could wholeheartedly recommend to both my mother, who enjoys cute British comedies, and my husband, who prefers action movies. Moreover, I would do so with a reasonable expectation that they would both enjoy it.

Sgt. Nicholas Angel, played by Simon Pegg of ìMission Impossible: III,î ìLand of the Deadî and ìDr. Who,î is our clean-cut, likeable and overly self-disciplined protagonist.

Pegg, as Angel, plays a big-city cop, who has been relocated to the country ó his expertise is making his London superiors look bad.†

Together with fellow officer Danny Butterman, played by Nick Frost (who was Ed in ìShaun of the Deadî), the two men embark on a crime-fighting adventure reminiscent in tone and style of the 1984 film ìBeverly Hills Copî ó if you can imagine a British ìBeverly Hills Copî written by and starring a bunch of zombie-movie junkies.

Meanwhile, the understated, droll British humor of the film is almost ìWallace and Gromitî-like.
Angel is a little too serious about his line of work and compulsively arrests underage drinkers on his night off.

Butterman watches too many cop films and is enamored of the action of high-speed chases and shoot-outs, hoping his small town will have some action.

It will.

The high ìaccidentî rate in the town of Sanford will turn out to be a high murder rate. But it will take some tough detective work to solve these killings.

While the film is, at times, somewhat far-fetched, it never loses the course of its plot the way the recent film ìPirates of the Caribbeanî does, and it ties up all its loose ends at the end, also unlike ìPirates.î

Moreover, ìHot Fuzzî possesses a notably clever set of sound effects, slightly exaggerated and over-the-top to fit with the comedic atmosphere. Small details like these contribute to the artful dramatic flourish that makes ìHot Fuzzî shine in spite of its relatively simple, classic plotlines and cast of characters.
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Anna Freeman, the former Anna Lee, works for the Daily Planet.