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| Image courtesy of Focus Features/ NBC Universal |
Don't go looking for anything deeper that connects these movies together, other than the stellar cast that has continued to entertain us with their wit and antics for almost the past decade. Does The World's End follow suit? You bet it does, so let's dive right into it.
Written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright and directed by Wright, The World's End has a story that, somehow, is more over the top than either of the ones that came before it. Sure, a lot of us can relate to getting out of high school and expecting some great times that summer. Those of us with a few more years of living even know what it is like in our mid-lives to want to get some of the old crew together for another chance to relive the so-called glory days. And most of us are very familiar with the wonderful thought of dropping a pint... or 12... while pulling ourselves around a pub crawl.
The manner in which Wright and Pegg tell the story is what really puts it out there, though. What we might consider "living", or moving ourselves through the usual rote, mundane daily chores and habits of our lives, is brought to vivid life by the very adolescent needs of the very grown-up Gary King (Pegg).
As usual, I really try to steer away from spoilers, but the gist of the plot surrounds Gary wrangling up his four best buddies from high school days and going out for a pub crawl roughly 20 years later. Along the way, we meet up with Argus Filch (not really, but it is David Bradley playing a crotchety old man. Wait, that sounds just like Walder Frey from Game of Thrones. But we won't typecast him.) and Rosamund Pike (Jack Reacher, Die Another Day) playing the sister of one of our motley bunch.
There is a constant battle going against King, because he just won't grow up and be what everyone else thinks he should be. They are all just one great big hilarious mess, and that about sums up Wright and Pegg's portrait of humanity in this movie: a mess. Imperfect. Contradictory. Imbalanced. And most importantly, possessing a vitality that demonstrates why the human race plans on sticking around this Spaceship Earth for quite some time to follow.
A great soundtrack is woven through the movie and compliments every scene the songs accompany. I thought the Doors Alabama Song (Whiskey Jar) was a standout inclusion, as was Silver Bullet's 20 Seconds to Comply. I'm Free by the Soup Dragons makes an entertaining on-going joke throughout, as well.
The humor is masterfully woven into the dialogue with minimal slapstick, and I'm afraid I probably missed even more to laugh at, as it was coming from all directions. At the heart of all of this humor is really the dynamic between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, though. Their ability to play off each other has been instrumental in the success of all three Edgar Wright films, and their own movie Paul. In The World's End, this camaraderie is extended to the likes of Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), Eddie Marsan (Jack the Giant Slayer, Sherlock Holmes), and Paddy Considine (Hot Fuzz, The Bourne Ultimatum). Freeman is far more Arthur Dent than Bilbo Baggins here. I'm not used to seeing Marsan in a comedic role and I think he really gives one of the better performances. Considine gets a far bigger role than just being one of the Andys in this one.
As the premise was laid out, I felt the first five to ten minutes were slightly slower than I was anticipating, but after that, there was no stopping them. In retrospect, Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead took a few moments at the very start to establish the ideas, also.
If I am going to pick a favorite, it is probably Hot Fuzz, closely followed by The World's End and Shaun of the Dead (they are within hundredths of a point). If you enjoy a cleverly written movie with drinking and great friendships on display, and an inclusion of action and some crazy antics, then look no further and go out to see The World's End. I'm glad I did. I'm giving it: 8.8 out of 10
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