I know what you're thinking. A movie like The World's End doesn't belong on a Top 10 list. Top 10 lists are for super-serious Oscar-bait and not for raucous and unruly comedies that can't even decide what genre to be in.
Well...shutup. You're wrong. And, it's a pity that so much of the world thinks like you do, because, if there was any justice in the world, movies like this would win Oscars.
The World's End is one of the best comedies in years. It's story and performances are sublimely layered and, yes, pretty darn subtle. The direction is insanely tight -- indeed, for a slapstick comedy about beer and killer robots, there's not an ounce of fat on it. And, the script is easily one of the best of the year.
Put simply, this is a great movie. Damn The Man.
This is the capstone to the heralded Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy brought to us by director Edgar Wright and his co-writer and star Simon Pegg. The previous two films in the trilogy -- Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz -- were wonderful send-ups of genre filmmaking and were both brilliant in their own right. However, with The World's End, Wright and Penn have outdone themselves. This is their best work so far, in my sort-of-humble opinion.
The story begins with an introduction to Gary King (Pegg's character) as he gives a recount of the best night of his life. Sadly, that night took place in high school, when he and his four best friends went on an unsuccessful pub crawl through their hometown. Even sadder, he's telling this story in what is apparently a rehab facility.
For some unknown reason, Gary decides that it's time to try to relive that night, to retry the pub crawl -- referred to affectionately as "The Golden Mile" -- with his old friends in tow. So, he set's off to try to convince his old buddies to come along. Of course, they've all grown up and moved on. And, as you might expect, they don't really have room for Gary and his stunted development in their lives.
Gary's friends are all perfectly cast. Oliver (played by Martin Freeman) is a boring real estate agent always tied to his Bluetooth. Steven (played by Paddy Considine) is a divorced construction foreman constantly reminding everyone that he's dating a 26-year-old personal trainer. Peter (played by Eddie Marsan) is the son of a rich auto dealer who's now in the family business. And, of course, there's Andrew (played by Pegg and Wright's third musketeer, Nick Frost), a lawyer who, for reasons that aren't immediately known, no longer wants anything to do with Gary.
Gary visits each of his friends separately and convinces them to once again attempt to traverse The Golden Mile. And, though they are all reluctant, they eventually agree to come along, each for their own reasons.
Now, you could make a pretty decent movie about five old friends returning to their boring hometown for a pub crawl. You'd have a story about growing up and growing old. Friendships rekindled. Demons confronted. All of that's in there, of course. But, the movie is so much more than that.
Upon their return home, Gary and his friends come to learn that home isn't what it used to be. First of all, their favorite pubs have all been watered down -- "Starbucked" is the term they use -- to the point where they're all the same. And, second, all of the people in town have been replaced by robots of an unknown origin. I don't want to give too much away regarding what we eventually learn about the robots and their intentions. I'll just say that the pubs aren't the only thing they're trying to Starbuck.
So, yes, what started out as a you-can't-go-home-again comedy eventually morphs into a sci-fi action movie. It comes complete with outstanding special effects and beautifully choreographed fight scenes. All of it moves toward a climax that is one of the funniest scenes ever put to film.
For Simon Pegg fans, he's at the top of his game here, both as a comedic actor and an actor actor. It may not seem like it at first, but there's a lot going on underneath the surface with Gary King. As always Pegg and Frost play off of each other perfectly. Seriously, I'd watch these two read the phonebook, so long as they were doing it together.
But, the real star of the movie is the screenplay, which is damn near perfect. They set up every joke and knock down every punchline. The whole thing moves like it's on a clock, never dragging, never obsessing over its own ideas. Like I said, it's one of the best scripts of the year.
What a glorious movie. I've seen it three times already...and I can't wait to see it again.
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