(1972)
2
Donald Guarisco
This odd fusion of cop thriller and black comedy attempts to do for the cop movie what MASH did for the war movie, but lacks the consistency and inspiration to reach this lofty aim. The key problem with Fuzz is its script, which never strikes a comfortable balance between its darkly humorous criticism of police and state government and its often brutal action film elements. It is also wildly overplotted, meaning the characters never get any room to breathe and interesting subplots (like Burt Reynolds' relationship with his deaf-mute wife) often go nowhere. Richard A. Colla's direction keeps the story rolling at a fast clip, but often leans on the film's comedy elements in heavy-handed fashion that makes potential gags abrasive instead of amusing. The solid cast is a plus, especially Tom Skerritt as a cynical detective and Raquel Welch as a put-upon visiting cop, but the film's dense narrative gives them precious little time to make an impression. Burt Reynolds fans will definitely be disappointed by the tiny amount of screen time he gets. In the end, Fuzz is too muddled and inconsistent to rate as anything more than an interesting curio.
cast-crew for Fuzz on AllMovie
Fuzz (1972)
