Rated
R (Pervasive Language including Sexual References)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 49 Minutes
Cast-
Simon
Pegg-Gary King
Nick
Frost-Andrew Knightley
Paddy
Considine-Steven Prince
Eddie
Marsan-Peter Page
Martin
Freeman-Oliver Chamberlain
Rosamund
Pike-Sam Chamberlain
Pierce
Brosnan-Guy Shephard
David
Bradley-Basil
Michael
Smiley-Reverend Green
Darren
Boyd-Shane Hawkins
Bill
Nighy (voice)-The Network
Directed
by Edgar Wright
 |
| The fate of one small town lies in the hands of these six people. |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at Landmark Sunshine Cinema.
Nostalgia's
a b*tch, ain't it? The past always seems to look better in hindsight the more
we get older but that's because we tend to selectively recall positive memories
as opposed to negative ones. For his latest effort, British writer/director Edgar
Wright takes audiences on a stroll down memory lane as he explores one person's
foolish quest to recapture the 'glory days' of his formative years while also
fending off an insidious alien invasion in the late-summer sci-fi action comedy
"The World's End." The final installment in the so-called "Three
Flavours Cornetto" trilogy, the film reunites Wright with frequent co-writer/actor
Simon Pegg and his best friend/fellow actor Nick Frost. It's amazing to see
these three still working together almost fifteen years later since they first
collaborated on the short-lived but critically acclaimed Channel 4 sitcom
"Spaced," whose success helped pave the way for 2004's "Shaun of
the Dead." Gleefully mixing elements of British romantic comedies with homages
to old-school zombie flicks from George A. Romero, the film quickly became a cult
classic and went on to receive overwhelmingly positive reviews with 91% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Some even went so far as to call it 'the best horror-comedy ever made.'
Three years later, Wright returned with the thematic follow-up "Hot Fuzz,"
a riotous, over-the-top riff on the buddy cop action films typified by the likes
of "Lethal Weapon" and "Bad Boys II." It too received positive
reviews. Six years is an eternity in Hollywood but Wright is never one to accept
projects he doesn't believe in (despite being in active development since 2006,
he's still attached to direct "Ant-Man") and I'm glad to see that
there are still directors who take their time to deliver something special. If
there's one last film you should see this summer, look no further than
"The World's End," a madcap, poignant, and action-packed sci-fi comedy
that stands among the year's very best.
For
twenty-three years, Gary King (Simon Pegg) has been unable to move on from his
failure to complete the 'Golden Mile,' an epic pub crawl involving twelve local
pubs in his hometown of Newton Haven. In an attempt to recapture the thrill of
the 'good ol' days,' Gary successfully cons high school friends Andrew Knightley
(Nick Frost), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine), Peter Page (Eddie Marsan), and Oliver
Chamberlain (Martin Freeman) into finishing what they started when they were
teenagers. The quintet returns to their old haunts but are unnerved to find
their community strangely homogenized and eerily tranquil. Although slightly annoyed
that he wasn't met with a hero's welcome, Gary brushes this aside and quickly
sets out on his quest to finish the 'Golden Mile' while also trying to catch
the attention of Oliver's beautiful sister Sam (Rosamund Pike), whom Steven had
always secretly loved. All hell breaks loose when the group uncovers an alien
conspiracy to replace all the residents of Newton Haven with mechanical duplicates.
Gary and his friends must now battle for their very survival if they are to make
it through all twelve pubs, with their last stop being the eponymous 'World's
End.'
Edgar
Wright has always excelled at blending comedy, action, and drama into one wildly
perfect concoction and "The World's End" is no different. Although
the films in the "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy aren't outright parodies,
each one does poke fun at a specific genre while also paying homage to it. What's
interesting about this series is the way Wright chooses to develop his characters,
placing them in outlandish situations that have no basis in reality. However, the
emotional journey they go through remains very rooted in real life. In "Shaun
of the Dead," perennial slacker Shaun is forced to 'man up' and take responsibility
for his actions despite having to deal with a sudden zombie apocalypse. In
"Hot Fuzz," dedicated police officer Nicholas Angel tries to 'loosen up'
and enjoy the little details in life but finds this to be increasingly difficult
when faced with a string of mysterious murders. With "The World's End,"
the trilogy comes full circle by casting Simon Pegg as a slacker once again.
Compared to Shaun, Gary King is even more of a pathetic loser whose life peaked
in high school and it's been downhill ever since. The film opens with a somewhat
exposition-heavy prologue that introduces our five main characters and their
initial failed attempt to complete the 'Golden Mile' when they were teenagers
in 1990. It then fast-forwards twenty-three years later where everyone has largely
drifted apart, consumed by the daily routines of their adult lives. Gary
however is still trapped in the past and gathers his friends for one final blowout.
There are a lot of laughs to be had about the way Gary desperately clings to
his youth despite pushing forty yet you also can't help feeling sorry for the guy,
making "The World's End" a more mature work compared to the previous
entries in Wright's trilogy.
If
Wright had just focused on the characters rediscovering their friendship and
mending old wounds, it would've been completely fine but thirty minutes in, he
throws a curveball by revealing that the town of Newton Haven has been completely
taken over by robotic duplicates! It's a nostalgic callback to the classic 1956
sci-fi film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (which was remade in 1978
and 2007) and the director cleverly uses this to push Gary to face his own
insecurities while the others individually try to resolve their own issues, such
as Andrew's long-simmering frustrations with his friend's self-destructive tendencies
or Steven attempting to reconnect with his teenage crush Sam. It adds a sense
of emotional urgency as everyone is literally fighting for their very survival,
with Wright piling on the absurdity with some tightly edited and wickedly
choreographed action scenes. Watching Nick Frost pummeling his way through an endless
stream of 'blanks' (as the invaders are called) is a sight to behold and no words
could do it justice. "The World's End" does falter during the last
fifteen minutes as Gary finally comes face-to-face with the 'entity' behind the
conspiracy. The two then engage in a pseudo-philosophical debate about the nature
of free will and conformity that goes on for a little too long but these issues
are rather minor. It may close with a somewhat bleak ending yet Wright's ode to
friendship remains as fun as ever with its zippy, energetic dialogue and
memorable characters.
In
a bit of a role-reversal, Simon Pegg is the abrasive loud-mouth while Nick
Frost is the more responsible one. Pegg's performance can lean toward scenery-chewing
as Gary tries to reclaim his figurative 'crown' but the way he subtly laces his
character with a tinge of sad desperation allows him to remain grounded in
spite of how outlandish the plot gets. Delivering a career best is Frost, who
successfully captures the anger and resentment that comes with being betrayed
by someone you love. Paddy Considine is endearingly romantic as the lovesick Steven
while Eddie Marsan plays up Peter's meekness and then gets hilariously nuttier
as the film progresses. Martin Freeman brings a charming wit to stick-in-the-mud
Oliver, which unfortunately leaves Rosamund Pike getting the short end of the
stick. She's defined solely by her relationships to Gary and Steven, and it
doesn't help when Pike disappears for a large stretch of the film only to inexplicably
pop up in the end.
Released
back in July in the UK, "The World's End" is finally arriving in US theaters
on August 23, 2013, which is the second-to-last weekend of the summer movie
season. Similar to the previous two entries in the "Three Flavours
Cornetto" trilogy, the film has received critical acclaim with 93% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Unfortunately, all that praise won't expand its appeal beyond the
Wright faithful as general audiences will write it off as just another comedy
dealing with the apocalypse. It's a real shame but not entirely a surprise
considering the low domestic grosses for "Shaun of the Dead" and
"Hot Fuzz." As a finale to arguably the best comedy trilogy of the past ten years, "The World's
End" knocks it out of the park and into the stratosphere thanks to
Wright's contagious enthusiasm. When a director is passionate about his film,
you can tell, and Wright is nothing if not full of passion about his work.
Final
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
"It's
all right. I'm not trying to have sex with you. There's something I need to
tell you right now. Unless you do want to have sex in which case I'll tell you
afterwards."
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