Review of The World's End (2013) by Tremor2005 — 28 Aug 2013

The World's End is an excellent conclusion to the "Cornetto trilogy". Following in the wake of the superb Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, The World's End faced a daunting task. It does take a little while to get going, it occasionally is a bit self-referential and getting used to Simon Pegg playing such an anti-hero took me a little while. These flaws aside, it is a fantastic film.

Taking five long dispersed friends back to the epic pub crawl they failed at as teenagers the film starts by introducing each character during meetings with Pegg's Gary King a crude, lying man-child quite unlike Shaun or Nicholas Angel. A long way from Scotty (Star Trek) and Benji (Mission Impossibles 3 & 4), King has stubbornly refused to grow up, remaining as an idle slouch whose friends have left him behind. It took me sometime to see the character beyond Pegg's normal positions (barring his excellent turn in criminally underrated gem Big Nothing), but felt richly rewarded once I could eventually embrace King's values, justifications and the hints of redemption. He is, arguably, Pegg's most impressive creation to date.

We are introduced individually to Oliver (Martin "Bilbo" Freeman), Peter (Eddie "Inspector Lestrade" Marsan), Steven (Paddie Considine) and finally Andy (Nick Frost). Frost was a revelation in this film. Far away from his sidekick role in the two previous films (and, to a lesser extent, "Paul") Andy is as serious a character as the film presents, the man who has probably moved the furthest (emotionally) from the child that Gary King grew up with. A series of increasingly desperate acts by the latter firmly driving Frost's character away, Frost manages to gain real sympathy from the audience during the film, though he also perhaps has the greatest moments of comedy during the action sequences (more on them shortly). It could be argued that Marsan and Freeman especially are underused in this film but, as with the preceding films the main relationship is that between Pegg's character and Frost's.

The spectacular (and increasingly ridiculous) action sequences are superbly choreographed both for exhilaration and laughs. Director Edgar Wright knows when to cause carnage and when to reel back; when to allow a moment for something to sink in and when to throw the kitchen sink in. Given his skills on Scott Pilgrim, Hot Fuzz and Shaun this is not perhaps a surprise. The fight scenes billow with twists and turns, blue blood spilling asunder and delightful usage of setting throughout the film. Observers may note that each pub is named after something that happens there.

It is, simply, a joy. The villains of the piece are the residents of the town. Body possession/cloning is a staple of the science fiction genre (in which this film is as rooted as Shaun was in horror) and is used to marvellous effect, including excellent supporting turns from David "Argus Filch" Bradley, Rosamund Pike and a stunning cameo from Pierce Brosnan. I won't spoil the ending, suffice to say it caught me completely by surprise.

I'd heartily recommend this film it takes its time to get going, but its as rewarding a cinematic experience as has been had in a long time.