By Devin Rodgers/reporter

Feeling a little left out in the cold, with none of its own cop-action flicks to boast of, the creators of 2004’s Shaun of the Dead have blasted out another hit comedy from across the pond, launching into theaters guns ablaze with Hot Fuzz.

The film is one part spoof and one part love letter to American action movies, like Lethal Weapon, Dirty Harry and Bad Boys.

The film is packed with non-stop laughs, which aren’t just funny (which they definitely are), but also quite smart, with razor-sharp wit.

And what would an action movie be without a good dose of splattery mayhem? Your answer: a pistol-wielding priest and a shotgun-touting granny getting dropkicked in the face, for starters.

Whatever you’re looking for, Hot Fuzz is the place to be. It’s got enough blood to satisfy horror fans, enough action for adrenaline junkies and a consistently high joke ratio that’s sure to split your sides.

Director Edgar Wright comes through again to deliver a largely entertaining movie with characters that aren’t just fun and lovable, but also engaging because of the terrific script by Wright and best friend
Simon Pegg.

One gets the distinct feeling that not only do these two love making movies, but they are real movie geeks who flat-out love movies.

In addition to co-writing the film, Pegg also stars as London’s top supercop Sgt. Nicolas Angel, a cop too good for the city’s police force. He’s so good, he makes the rest of the force look incompetent and lazy.

That’s why the city’s Chief Inspector (played by Bill Nighy, another Shaun alumni) reassigns him to keep watch over the small and peaceful village of Sandford, “the safest village in the country.”

Nicolas partners with Danny Butterman, once again played brilliantly by the lovable teddy bear Nick Frost (who also starred along side Pegg in Shaun). Butterman is a disillusioned police officer, addicted to cop-action movies that lead him to believe real police work is all about getting into gunfights and high-speed car chases.

At first Nicolas has some trouble adapting to the new environment and the slower pace of Sandford. But it’s clear from the start: he’s not kidding around; he’s there to kick arse and take names.

Together, Nicolas and Danny begin investigating a series of grisly accidents that he suspects to be the work of a menacing serial killer stalking victims at random. But as he digs deeper and deeper into the Sandford resident’s past, he discovers the murders may be connected. Among the town’s primary suspects is Simon Skinner, owner of the town’s major grocery store, played with a constantly sinister smile by Timothy Dalton, who obviously loves chewing up the scenery.

Keep a lookout for two cameos early in the film. One is Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson as a nasty Santa Claus who stabs Nicolas. And for the second, Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett hides behind a crime-scene suit and mask as Nicolas’s ex-girlfriend Jeanine. Chances are if you’re not looking
for them, you won’t notice them.

The dynamic trio of Wright, Pegg and Frost just might be the new Monty Python. Hot Fuzz is a blast that delivers the goods once again.