The World's End Review

The World’s End, the long-awaited and hotly anticipated finale of the so-called “Cornetto Trilogy” has finally arrived to cap off a mind-numbing summer full of big budgets and big explosions and the relatively low key film is a welcome change. Featuring the talents of the British comedic trio of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and borrowing elements from both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, The World’s End sees the them all in fine form once again. While no longer spoofing zombie flicks or over-the-top action movies, The World’s End contains the same subversion and quick and furious pans and edits that Wright utilized extensively in the previous two movies, this time tackling a wholly new genre. 

Gary King (Pegg) is an addict and alcoholic who yearns to go back to those younger days when everything was possible and nothing had to be taken seriously and seeks to gather all his old school chums to recreate an epic pub crawl in his small and quaint hometown of Newton Haven. A very British idea and notion to say the least and the humor is of a very dry British variety as well; it’s the small jokes and gags and nice little touches here and there that are the funniest. There are a number of big scenes of physical comedy and obvious laughs but the real gems here lie in the brilliant interplay and dialogue between the characters, who all fit in their roles superbly well. An element that has always been a strength of this trilogy is the subtle characterization that director Edgar Wright always establishes very cleverly and effortlessly. Within only a few scenes, the main characters all feel like real and fully fleshed out people with all their little quirks and idiosyncrasies (something that recent Hollywood movies have proven is easier said than done). Themes, inner conflicts and tensions are established pretty early on between all of the characters and another rewarding aspect of these films is that all those little set-ups always pay off if you pay close enough attention.

This time around, both Pegg and Frost play roles outside their conventional norm but the grounding foundation of this film once again is their antagonistic relationship and their conflict’s eventual resolution.  While in Shaun of the Dead, Pegg is the sad sap being dragged down by immature and toxic Frost, there’s a completely role reversal here and the results are quite entertaining and oddly touching.  Gary’s bad history with Andy (Frost) is hinted at from the beginning and hangs over the early proceedings to be slowly and steadily revealed. All of his old mates are initially reluctant to revisit the town they all so desperately wanted to escape from but Gary hasn’t moved on like them and with a combination of dishonesty, abrasiveness and inappropriate humor, he convinces them all to join him. But behind all the hijinks and juvenile behavior hides a deeply troubled and tormented individual, a man who feels like he has absolutely nothing to live for who struggles to find a place for himself in the world. Gary’s road to recovery is emotionally charged and the evolution of his character from beginning to end is The World’s End’s best component. 

Although definitely not the strongest of the trilogy (that honor still remains with the more tightly paced and perfectly executed Shaun of the Dead), The World’s End contains a great sense of poignancy and sadness throughout, something wholly unanticipated but thoroughly welcome. The film comments on our flawed nature as human beings and the great freedom to be able to be flawed and make our mistakes that we take for granted, and as in the rest of the trilogy, the film is ultimately about leaving the past behind and finally growing up. In another interesting aspect, the film contains a certain element of the dangers of history repeating itself that we witness in the fates of certain characters and the positions they find themselves in. Our main characters are both tormented individuals and what starts as a journey to get completely pissed (as the British would say) takes them to find what they’re looking for in unexpected yet fitting places and although the finale is somewhat underwhelming, this is yet another staple of these movies: it doesn’t always take you to where you expect it to go. 

B

Trailer:

Movie info:

Runtime: 109 minutes

MPAA Rating: R

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Rosamund Pike

Director: Edgar Wright

Screenplay: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg

Cinematography: Bill Pope

Distributed by: Universal Studios