Edgar Wright: The Definitive Guide To Homages, Influences And References
Angels chase sequence with the shoplifter tips its cap to many movies, starting out with the obligatory Western shot of his and Petes eyes before devolving into something out of Trainspotting, right down to Petes running style, his garishly naff clothes and the camera shooting style and then segues into Batman Begin, using similar sound-effects and shots to Bruce Waynes swoop-downs when Angel jumps over the fence to come-face-to-face with his quarry. Yet the best is saved until last, as Wright manages to cram a Crocodile Dundee reference into the sequence, having Nicolas lob a can of spray paint at the thiefs head from a distance and seeing it connect despite the impossible accuracy of the shot. Mick Dundee uses the exact same method to knock out a thief in his film. Theres a bonus reference straight after when Sergeant Fisher congratulates Angel on his impressive collar, a direct reference to Sidney Lumets 1973 classic Serpico where they refer to arrests in the same manner.