Nick Frost... salsa dancing champion? Such is the premise presented in Cuban Fury, a surprisingly funny and entertaining romantic comedy that also stars Chris O'Dowd, Rashida Jones and Ian McShane.

McShane, naturally, plays a rugged, alcoholic salsa dancing coach.

I went into Cuban Fury not expecting a whole lot, because, after all, who the hell has heard of Cuban Fury? Starring the fat guy from Shaun of the Dead and a bunch of British accents, I didn't have very high hopes (don't get me wrong, I love Nick Frost, and British accents are okay, too, as long as you accept them as mispronounced American), but leave it to director James Griffiths and writer Jon Brown (who and who?) to put me in my place.

The movie blends earnest romantic comedy elements with slapstick fare, resulting in a somewhat believable and yet satisfyingly silly production. Frost has good chemistry with love interest Rashida Jones, and both deliver fine performances in their respective roles. Chris O'Dowd, best known to American audiences as the likable cop in Bridesmaids, shows he can play the villain equally well by turning in a deliciously sleazy performance.

Cuban Fury is consistently good throughout, but it really hits its stride toward the end as the salsa dancing is amped up and Griffiths offers audiences the first ever... salsa fistfight? I won't go into detail so as to spoil the fun, but there's an extremely absurd yet hilarious sequence unlike anything you've ever seen before.

As a romantic comedy, Cuban Fury is predictable (you know Frost and Jones are going to end up together in the end, and that O'Dowd is going to meet a humiliating fate), but as an overall experience, it is fun, entertaining and full of British accents.

Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.