The World’s End is the third film in Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s
‘ice cream and blood’ series. There has been an awful lot of expectation for
this film, largely because Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz were both so
successful. I was looking forward to seeing it and yet when I came out of the
cinema I felt a little bit disappointed. It wasn't as good as Shaun of the Dead
or Hot Fuzz, and I didn't seem to enjoy it as much.
If you haven’t seen the trailer, The World’s End is about five friends
who, one night in their teen years, attempted a pub crawl known as the golden
mile. Years later they return to Newton Haven to complete the golden mile, but
things are not quite as they seem. Everything seems to be the same, and yet
completely different. They soon discover that the villagers have been taken and
replaced by ‘robots’. The five guys try to complete the golden mile without
arousing suspicion, but they soon come across an alien network intending to
‘civilise’ humankind for the benefit of the universe.
Now I did enjoy the film, but not as much as they other two. It
was a funny film which made me laugh out loud several times, and this was
genuine laughter too. The comedy was original in that it wasn’t entirely
recycled from the previous films. I thought that this was important because
otherwise The World’s End would just be an extension of Shaun of the Dead and
Hot Fuzz. However, it followed a very different template. I hope this makes
sense, but Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz both seem to have a prescribed
pattern where certain jokes are repeated for comedic effect. The World’s End
doesn’t feel like a film of the same mould. However, this isn’t a bad thing as
it makes it much more unique. The laughs aren’t manufactured either and feel
perfectly natural in the context of the film
I particularly liked the message behind the film. Edgar Wright is
quoted as saying that he wanted to focus on the “Wetherspooning” effect with
the “strange homogenous branding that becomes like a virus” (http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2013-07/17/edgar-wright-interview-the-worlds-end). Much like all of the pubs seen in the film are essentially
the same, the humans are being slowly replaced with a branded identical copy of
each other.
Simon Pegg is spectacular in this film, which seems to go
unnoticed because his character is really dislikable. His mannerisms and
commitment to his character is perfect. Nick Frost is also, and unsurprisingly,
brilliantly funny as the teetotal Andy. I thought The World’s End was
particularly entertaining in that Pegg and Frost seem to have swapped roles
somewhat. Whereas Frost was the silly one and Pegg was the more serious one, in
The World’s End Frost plays the serious character who is unwilling to get
involved with childish scenarios. This reversal of their chemistry works
perfectly throughout the film, which is as much a credit to each actor’s skill
as it is to the scriptwriting.
The supporting cast is equally fantastic and complete the
‘friendship’ theme which has characterised all three of the ‘ice cream and
blood’ films. Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and Paddy Considine all work
perfectly in their roles, and none of them ever feel like they’re playing
second fiddle to Frost and Pegg. Each of them is there as their own character
and are an equal part of the cast. Rosamund Pike is also very amusing as Sam
Chamberlain, and the scenes with her in are particularly amusing. There are a
number of cameo appearances which are also very entertaining, such as Mark
Heap, whose manner is a source of laughter in every role he plays.
Overall I think The World’s End is a very good film. It will
suffer a little bit though from being part of the same series as Shaun of the
Dead and Hot Fuzz. I didn't find it as entertaining as the other two, but still
entertaining. I enjoyed watching it and genuinely laughed a few times. The plot
was particularly interesting and felt relatively fresh and while some parts
felt a little bit forced and manufactured, it was an entertaining and enjoyable
watch. It’s not a bad film and if you enjoy comedies then you will like The
World’s End. Complete with a message about trying to relive the past, Simon
Pegg and Edgar Wright have produced a fitting finale for the ‘ice cream and
blood’ trilogy.
You may also like:
Other films by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg:
Shaun of the Dead - http://mattsthoughtsonmovies.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/shaun-of-dead.html
Other films starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost:
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