What aunt_zelda Thinks: Hot Fuzz
Jun. 15th, 2011 05:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aunt_zelda Is there something I'm just not getting about this movie? I've heard people RAVE about this thing, and I … just don't get that.
I didn't hate it, don't get me wrong! I did … like it, I guess. It was funny, but nothing unbelievable or revolutionary. At least, not to me. I guess I've been reading too much Terry Pratchett and watching too much English TV: the humor was spoiled for me before I'd even started the movie.
Simon Pegg is adorable and ernest, and the HoYay is there alright (it's so canon it's barely worth mentioning, to be honest), the music is great, and it's a good movie … it just didn't do it for me.
I mean, did we really need another movie showing how quirky, silly, and NIGHTMARE FUELING suburbs and/or small towns are? We get it! People should only live in gigantic cities or completely isolated from other people in caves, and anything in-between makes people into Stepford Smiling murderers!
Jesus CHRIST that bit where he falls down and finds all the bodies was disturbing! And dark. And … ugh *shudders* (Bit with the statue guy was funny, though.)
"Before you could say 'gypsy scum' -"
WHOA! Racial-slur!
These were my feelings … before the climax. Then I got it. Sort of, because then I realized that the whole movie up until that point was just build up, and indeed the whole movie was itself an excuse to stage an awesome action sequence where the heroes beat up old people, shoot plants onto people's heads, destroy a grocery store, and have a fight in a model village.
And I'm perfectly ok with that. It was freaking awesome! Especially the stuff in the supermarket, because hey, I work in one of those! (I know for a fact that shopping carts can be LETHAL. Those bitches HURT! *rubs shins*) I don't think there's a person out there who couldn't look at that big damn action sequence and approve. It was freaking awesome.
(I love how they stopped to grab the stupid swan. Swans are MEAN little fuckers from what I hear. Seeing as they're related to geese, who can bite so bad that they can be used as GUARD DOGS, I believe it.)
But still, awesome ending aside … meh. Is there something I'm missing? Please, let me know!
P.S. English Hoodie Fear … WTF? I read a bit about that on wikipedia. I guess wearing a hoodie in England is the equivalent of … I dunno, I can't think of a similar thing in America. (Having gang tattoos, maybe? No, not even, wearing a hoodie doesn't indicate that you're in a gang.) Whereas in America, wearing a hoodie just means it's a bit chilly outside. That's odd.
Note to self: when I finally get the money and time to visit England, do not bring a hoodie.
I didn't hate it, don't get me wrong! I did … like it, I guess. It was funny, but nothing unbelievable or revolutionary. At least, not to me. I guess I've been reading too much Terry Pratchett and watching too much English TV: the humor was spoiled for me before I'd even started the movie.
Simon Pegg is adorable and ernest, and the HoYay is there alright (it's so canon it's barely worth mentioning, to be honest), the music is great, and it's a good movie … it just didn't do it for me.
I mean, did we really need another movie showing how quirky, silly, and NIGHTMARE FUELING suburbs and/or small towns are? We get it! People should only live in gigantic cities or completely isolated from other people in caves, and anything in-between makes people into Stepford Smiling murderers!
Jesus CHRIST that bit where he falls down and finds all the bodies was disturbing! And dark. And … ugh *shudders* (Bit with the statue guy was funny, though.)
"Before you could say 'gypsy scum' -"
WHOA! Racial-slur!
These were my feelings … before the climax. Then I got it. Sort of, because then I realized that the whole movie up until that point was just build up, and indeed the whole movie was itself an excuse to stage an awesome action sequence where the heroes beat up old people, shoot plants onto people's heads, destroy a grocery store, and have a fight in a model village.
And I'm perfectly ok with that. It was freaking awesome! Especially the stuff in the supermarket, because hey, I work in one of those! (I know for a fact that shopping carts can be LETHAL. Those bitches HURT! *rubs shins*) I don't think there's a person out there who couldn't look at that big damn action sequence and approve. It was freaking awesome.
(I love how they stopped to grab the stupid swan. Swans are MEAN little fuckers from what I hear. Seeing as they're related to geese, who can bite so bad that they can be used as GUARD DOGS, I believe it.)
But still, awesome ending aside … meh. Is there something I'm missing? Please, let me know!
P.S. English Hoodie Fear … WTF? I read a bit about that on wikipedia. I guess wearing a hoodie in England is the equivalent of … I dunno, I can't think of a similar thing in America. (Having gang tattoos, maybe? No, not even, wearing a hoodie doesn't indicate that you're in a gang.) Whereas in America, wearing a hoodie just means it's a bit chilly outside. That's odd.
Note to self: when I finally get the money and time to visit England, do not bring a hoodie.
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Date: 2011-06-15 09:59 pm (UTC)It's been a while since I watched Hot Fuzz, but it's based very strongly on parody and deconstructing tropes. It's an English 'The Last Action Hero' - how an action movie would actually work in the real world, and what policemen are like. I don't know how many action movies you watch, but it does require a lot of knowledge of action/detective movie cliches.
Also, re: the suburbs thing...that's what they're doing. It's meant to be pointing out the ridiculousness of suburban country places being a breeding ground for evil. It's a long-established trope, and you can't say that cities haven't exactly received their own bad rep. People can't live in the city, they'll get mugged/raped/kidnapped/murdered/etc. By comparison, Innsmouth sects seem positively tame.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-15 10:10 pm (UTC)That was pretty shocking revelation to me because, well, loads of people wear them in America. I mean, it's pretty suspicious to go into a store with your hood up, and management might give you funny looks, but they're pretty common place.
It's been a while since I watched Hot Fuzz, but it's based very strongly on parody and deconstructing tropes.
Oh, I saw that. Playing with and deconstructing tropes is great and all, but without something else it's just a series of jokes without much lasting impact. Fun, but short-lived.
Also, re: the suburbs thing...that's what they're doing. It's meant to be pointing out the ridiculousness of suburban country places being a breeding ground for evil. It's a long-established trope, and you can't say that cities haven't exactly received their own bad rep. People can't live in the city, they'll get mugged/raped/kidnapped/murdered/etc. By comparison, Innsmouth sects seem positively tame.
I'm not denying that, it just seems like a tired device to me. (And I actually have a fear of suburbs. They make my skin crawl, hundreds of houses that look exactly the same ... *shudders*) Maybe that was the point, that the locals weren't even trying to hide how batshit insane they were and Simon Pegg going 0.o at some of their comments was all there was to it, but ... *shrugs* I dunno. Didn't seem like anything special after having seen Life on Mars and reading the City Watch books.
It frustrates me when I see a movie/read a book/hear a song that people rave about and then I end up not liking it, hating it, or just feeling indifferent towards it. Especially if I've enjoyed recommendations from said people before.