Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman, Timothy Dalton, Anne Reid, Steve Coogan, Jim Broadbent

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Classification: 15

After the surprising global success of the homegrown 'rom-zom-com' Shaun of the Dead, the boys are back with their latest offering, Hot Fuzz, this time taking their inspiration from the cheesier side of Hollywood, in particular their cop movies and action blockbusters.

You can tell that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright have a deep affection for often critically-maligned movies they parody, and it is due to this that Hot Fuzz scores most of its points. After all, it's an odd time for such a film, since other cop capers are hardly riding a wave of success at the moment. But it's so wholly unlike anything else on general release that it's worth seeing purely for the breath of fresh air that it so happily provides.

Simon Pegg plays Nicholas Angel, a London copper so good at his job that he's making the rest of the force look bad. To save face, his superiors (played here by Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan and Bill Nighy) promote him to Sergeant, but send him to the sleepy Gloucestershire village of Sandford. The locals are proud of their home, particularly its low crime rate, and the rest of the Sandford constabulary have become so complacent that they're completely bemused by Nicholas' dedication to the police code. However, a spate of mysterious accidents arouse Nick's suspicions, and soon he's trying to launch a murder investigation in the face of opposition from his fellow coppers.

Hot Fuzz draws on the cream of British talent, with Timothy Dalton standing out in particular as as the manager of the local Somerfield. He's so deliciously wicked and it's good to see him making films again. Regulars from Pegg's Channel 4 comedy series, Spaced, show up, while Jim Broadbent also turns in a typically stolid performance as the Sandford chief inspector. But the plaudits should really go to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who plays here Danny Butterman, the hapless copper that becomes Nicholas' partner in the village. In a giant nod to Shaun of the Dead, Danny is the juvenile yang to Nicholas' responsible ying, and Shaun references pepper the script.

The plot feels a lot like Midsomer Murders as directed by Armageddon director, Michael Bay. The first half hour or so seem a little bit slow but once the momentum gets going, Wright's pacy directing and the events in the village keep things swinging until the film's final showdown.

Hot Fuzz manages to be almost anti-genre, as it takes a little of everything to make a melting pot of fun and action. As well as heavily parodying cop and action films, there's also an air of the Western about it, as Nicholas plays the lone sheriff who alone wants to bring justice to a corrupt outpost, while his friendship with Danny is the stuff of true 'buddy' movies. It's an enjoyable film, with plenty to entertain, and its action sensibilities will probably appeal to more of a mainstream audience than the horror stylings of Shaun of the Dead.

 Rating: 4/5: A fabulous boost for British cinema.