13 May 2007
1 CommentHot Fuzz
(NOTE: A lot of people have found this article while looking for the Hot Fuzz movie script – I have found links to the regular screenplay, but it seems the interactive screenplay is no longer around.
- Hot Fuzz Screenplay source 1
- Hot Fuzz Screenplay source 2
If these links die, let me know.)
Hot Fuzz is a police parody movie from the same people who brought us the zombie parody Shaun of the Dead. Those same people being Edgar Wright, who co-wrote and directed with Simon Pegg, who co-wrote and starred. Since I’m such a big fan of both Shaun of the Dead and of Simon Pegg (who also starred in a good but short-lived sitcom called Spaced) I came to this movie expecting it to be extremely entertaining. I expected it to contain slapstick as well as sophisticated humor. And generally, I expected it not to suck.
I wasn’t disappointed. This movie is highly enjoyable. The humor is a fine mix of sophisticated and slapstick (as only the British can do) and it most definitely didn’t suck. But don’t get me wrong, there were some things about this movie that could have been and should have been taken care of before it left the cutting room floor.
The plot. The story centers around a London policeman…excuse me, police officer Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg). Angel is the overachieving, excels at everything in his chosen profession, obsessed with his work type. And his work is being a police officer. He gets a promotion to sergeant but also a reassignment from the city of London to the country. Once there, our hero learns that this place is not the peaceful hamlet it seems to be when several seemingly gruesome “accidents” start to take place. So far so good. The plot is a cliché but as this movie is a parody of police action films, that’s all right, it’s to be expected. But after the first hour and a half of this, the plot degenerates into something ridiculous just to drive the last half hour of the film which brings me to…
The pace. This whole movie is one long build-up to the final twenty-minute John Woo style action fest. The problem with this is that the payoff isn’t as entertaining as this movies’ creators obviously thought it would be. It also means that the first hour and a half of the movie seems excessively long. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very entertaining. I can guarantee that you’ll find yourself laughing out loud even if you don’t want to. You may even find yourself flinching from some of the overly gruesome killing methods displayed in this film. But despite all that, I found myself becoming anxious to see the part of the movie that was advertised, the action. But when I finally got it, it wasn’t at all what I expected. Oh, it was entertaining and very, very over-the-top, but it seemed like too much too late in the film.
Since I actually want people to see this film, I left out a lot to keep from spoiling any of it. I have a few gripes but overall this is a good movie. I suggest you see it the best way you know how.
All in all, excellent setup; shoddy, but no less engaging, execution.
More Info From Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Fuzz
See How Others Rated it on IMDB – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425112/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425112
Hot Fuzz is available cheap on both DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RJO578?ie=UTF8&tag=wofrhofrjo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000RJO578
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18 Apr 2010
3 CommentsJames Cameron and Avatar
Now that all the hype has died down…relatively speaking, I guess it would be okay for me to say a few words about Avatar (no, not the Last Airbender:)).
James Cameron proved, once again, that he could make and hype a movie towards box office gold. If for some reason you do not know who James Cameron is, well, then you’ve been living in a hole for the last two decades. Alternatively, if you have been watching any movies at all over the last two decades, then you have probably seen a James Cameron film. The man has written and directed a plethora of hits. Some of them are favorites of mines. Some of them are favorites of yours as well. Terminator 1 and 2, True Lies, Aliens and of course, Titanic, just to name a few. Not bad for a foul tempered Canadian eh?
I found Avatar to be lite fare. Other than the technology used to create it, it didn’t break any new ground as far as storytelling is concerned. You have heard this tale before, maybe you read the book or seen the movie (dances with wolves?), but it’s an old story. That’s not to say that it isn’t told well. Most stories are rehashes of old ones…well, technically, ALL stories are rehashes of old ones.
This is the story of what happens when Corporate Greed and Manifest Destiny arrive on the shores of a foreign land. They find the natives are sitting on top of the mother load of something that they want. We have plenty of real world examples of what that means. This is also the story of a crippled white soldier “going native”…yea, you’ve seen the “going native” story before as well.
Other than that, I don’t need to get into too many story details. Either you’ve seen it already or plan to get the DVD/Blu-ray. One of the points I am making here is, if you never see it, rest assured that you are not missing anything as far as stories go. You already know this one.
However, outside of the story, Avatar shines as imaginative eye candy. Cameron waited until the technology was just right to create the CG characters and gorgeous, gorgeous backdrops. The world of the Na’vi is rich, verdant, and beautiful. I’m not sure how all this will translate to the small screen, but on the big screen it’s awe inspiring.
Now when the visuals and story are put together, ahhhhh, now you got something. I know I may have sounded a bit disparaging about the plots lack of originality, but despite this, the visuals are what bring it to life. The visuals are what make you want to sit through that story. To see it acted out in meticulously crafted detail.
Of course, true to form, Cameron managed to fit a love story into Avatar as well. It serves to move the plot forward despite it being between a disabled former marine and a nine-foot tall blue alien. All in all, I think of Avatar like a fine Disney cartoon movie (with swearing and no one breaking out into song), and that’s not a negative remark in any sense of the word. It operates on the same level as some of Disney’s finest animated films. Action, adventure, humor, a love story, a moral lesson or two and maybe even something to think about.
You can probably even still find it in theaters…they are certainly milking it for all it’s worth. And I think, it’s worth quite a bit. See it, if you haven’t already.
Read the Avatar Screenplay / Script
http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Avatar.html
https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JamesCameronAVATAR-1.pdf
https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JamesCameronAVATAR.pdf
The subject of this post was suggested to me. See this post for more details.
Purchase Avatar on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon
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