The World's End

A classmate planted the phrase, "I didn't believe the ending," in my head when talking about this movie. That's the phrase that first came to me when the climax eventually arrived. It just didn't seem plausible for me that an all-powerful alien race was that convinced by the drunken rants of three middle-aged British men to forgo their invasion goals and bring about the technology apocalypse. Here's why that ultimately doesn't matter to me. Edgar Wright knows how to stage exciting comedies and The World's End made me laugh (Gary's confidence in the beginning, the boys arguing over the term robot, Martin Freeman with a football head, and so on and so forth.) But more importantly, it showed me what a great comedy with a clear point of view looks like. Specifically, it made me think not just about the end of the world, but about nostalgia's dark side and the things people put in their way to numb what they don't like in their present. Check out Simon Pegg's performance, which shows some powerfully realistic pathos behind the funny screw-up that Gary is.

Just three cornetto's, give them to me! Who's the helmet without a helmet? Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright reconvene to close down the cornetto trilogy that had began with Sean of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Here we find Pegg as a card carrying alcoholic who coerces his old mates into undertaking a fabled drinking binge in their home town of New Haven. But things are not as they used to be... This simply isn't on the same level as "Sean and Fuzz", but that doesn't remotely make it a duffer of a film. Weight of expectation was enormous, and rightly so, but although it doesn't carry the mighty comedic gold of the first two films, it has fun, cheek and emotion in abundance. In fact its biggest crime is not being the final film so many legions of fans were hoping for. If stripping back those expectations and original disappointments, then repeat viewings bring plentiful rewards. Riffing on science fiction films, pic's story cunningly observes male behaviour, most notably the man-child effect and the refusal to let the past stay in the past, the pic begins in almost solemn fashion and ends in daring chaos. Along the way there's a whole host of sly visual gags to catch, whilst the caustic concerns for once vibrant towns brought down by soulless entertainment chains positively fizzles with poignant awareness. No doubt about it, Wright and Pegg call their own shots, which is ultimately refreshing in an era of film making struggling to keep its head above the sequel and remake swamp. Choice dialogue, some of which is very British in street core, and some laugh out loud moments, off set the more juvenile moments filtered through the plot. A super cast has been assembled, where series regulars either star or cameo to further emphasise the constant of the cornetto trilogy - that of film lovers making films for film lovers, with camaraderie of cast set in stone. The sound track choices sparkle, a mix of Brit-Pop, Madchester and era defining popsters (Old Red Eyes Is Back by The Beautiful South has never been so pertinently used). All baked in a superb period tinted pie. There's something of an action overload, while some tonal shifts have understandably proved to be confusing to some. But this still showcases - in credit - the considerable talents of Messrs Wright, Pegg and Frost. Teen angst machismo, alcoholism and hidden passions clash with Invasion of the Body Snatchers! It shouldn't work, but it does! 7/10

This movie was divided into three parts for me. First there were the set-up scenes: Gary arranging the reunion tour and providing background of the five friends. It was fairly predictable and I found it almost impossible to overcome my dislike for the Gary character. It was only because I was slightly distracted by something else that I kept watching it. Then at about the 35-40 minute mark, it got better. There were action scenes, of course, but even the humor seemed to pick up the pace, and there was a little character development and growth. It was fun viewing for a long time. Then there was the third section (again, for me anyway) when the plot is wrapped up at such an alarming speed so as to result in an anti-climax. And that is followed by a rather lackluster narration by one of the characters stating what had happened to everyone and explaining the ending that the movie had covered so scantly. So I can’t say I regret watching it, but I probably wouldn’t watch it again if the opportunity arises.

I finally watched the final part of the so-called Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. I'm not actually a massive fan of the preceding two films, like don't get me wrong they are good films - I've just never been, unlike the majority it seems, overtly into them. 'The World’s End' continues that trend. Early on I was actually expecting this to be great to me, but it basically levels out by the end; 'Hot Fuzz' (3½*) remains my fav. As alluded to, the first chunk of the film I was properly enjoying it - I was really liking the vibe of it. Then the twist happens. It's actually a great twist, I wasn't expecting it at all, but I feel what follows it isn't as enjoyable. It's silly fun, though not much more. The cast are very good, probably my standout from the three films. Of course Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the staples and are excellent. Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and Rosamund Pike, meanwhile, is nice casting. David Bradley, Pierce Brosnan and Bill Nighy are there too.

Let's start on a positive note...the fight scenes were brilliant, certainly the funniest parts of the movie. A bunch of drunks that can kill robots...not robots with action movie style and professional wrestling moves is almost too funny to watch. Seeing Pegg and Black's characters interchanged was fresh as well, especially since Black pulls off the lovable Pub king and Pegg does a good job of looking like an old alcoholic. And the last determined dash to hit the final two pubs was classic... ...but not of the same caliber as the previous two in the unofficial trilogy. The alien thing was too...meh. Invasion of the Body Snatchers with an awkward Dreamcatcher vibe and it didn't work. In fact, for the most part, a lot of it just took away from the humor as a whole. The build-up was a bit of a downer and by the time the comedy hit, the audience was gone. The fun came too late in the film and for a long time it seemed like a drama with an amused grin and not the comedy that you'd expect.

“Gary” (Simon Pegg) is trying to get his four childhood friends to return to their hometown to complete a pub crawl of it’s dozen boozers after their initial attempt after their last day at school fizzled out. Adulthood has seen them go their separate ways, and not without their baggage either, but he hopes that former best mate “Andy” (Nick Frost); “Oliver” (Martin Freeman) and his sister “Sam” (Rosamund Pike), “Steve” (Paddy Considine) and “Pete” (Eddie Marsan) will all go with him. Upon their arrival in his ancient Ford Cortina, they quickly realise that the pubs have not just lost much of their originally rustic charm, but that the population are all a little bit unfriendly, or unfamiliar, or both! Something is most definitely amiss, and as they proceed from pub to pub they begin to realise that nothing is as it seems and that they are in danger of being subsumed into a well mannered and civilised sterility that has to be resisted. What now ensues is reminiscent of “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) with Pegg and Frost confidently leading the slapstick, ink-ridden, comedy entertainingly helped along by plenty of sarcastic quips, furniture destruction, a few malevolent interventions from Pierce Brosnan and a few more helpful ones from David Bradley’s eccentric “Basil”. Will they make it to pub twelve, though? It’s a bit slow to get going, and I could have done without some of the preamble, but once the shenanigans start in earnest, this is quickly paced fun to watch.