What makes an action-spoof?

Observations from the 2007 film 'Hot Fuzz' which make up the basis of an action movie spoof comedy.

- Opening scene is tense, relieved with comedy in the following scene.
- The film depicts the police service in a cheesy and immature way.
- The response of a character to a situation is usually the opposite of what the audience expects.
- Simple dialogue.
- Music builds up to a tense situation, and then silence as the unexpected comedic response is viewed.
- Whip-pan camera angle during a comedic scene adds to humour.
- Simple camera angles.
- The film borrows stereotypical characteristics from other genres of film, such as horror.
- Very little soundtrack.
- Makes fun of different groups of society, e.g. teenagers. Use of regional accents. Rural communities.
- Huge contrast between different scenes.
- Normally only one or two main characters.
- Mise-en-scene is used for comic effect.
- References to popular culture.
- Characters names are usually silly.
- The two main characters are usually very different (e.g. Shaun and Ed in Shaun of the Dead, Nicholas and Danny in Hot Fuzz and Johnny and Boff in Johnny English).
- Unlike an actual action movie, Hot Fuzz shows very little between the action scenes.
- Use of comical sound effects such as cows.
- Tense scenes are dragged out for comic effect.
- Inappropriate soundtrack can be used for some scenes.

R.K.