The World's End Review

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."