MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (8/21/-8/23/14): THE WORLD'S END
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike and Pierce Brosnan
WRITER(S): Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright
DIRECTOR(S): Edgar Wright
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS: The latest cinematic party event from the minds behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (funny how the trailer never mentions the long-forgotten Paul), The World's End stars Simon Pegg as Gary King. Back in 1990 when he was a teenager, Gary was literally living like a king, armed with his duster coat, carefree attitude and his friends: Steven (Paddy Considine), Peter (Eddie Marsan), Oliver (Martin Freeman) and his best friend Andy (Nick Frost). There was also Oliver's sister Sam (Rosamund Pike), the girl whom Gary once had and Steven wished he did ...
No matter affairs of the heart though, for on June 22, 1990, Gary and his boys had the greatest night of their collective lives trying to walk "the Golden Mile:" A group of 12 pubs along a stretch of their native Newton Haven, a suburban town in the UK.
Fast-forward to the present and while the rest of his old gang has moved on to more respectable, adult lives, Gary is the same guy as he ever was, with the same coat, the same car (a.k.a. "The Beast") ... And he's 40. But instead of recognizing it's time to grow up, Gary is concentrating on re-living the glory days of his youth – and finally completing the Golden Mile. Twisting everyone's arm, Gary convinces his old crew, even his now estranged (and sober) best friend Andy, to return to Newton Haven to complete the task and make it all the way to final pub on the path, The World's End.
But upon their arrival, Gary and his crew quickly realize they are not the only ones who have changed as everyone in Newton Haven seems to be acting a little ... Odd. And once they figure out what's going on, staying the course on the Golden Mile might be their only chance of surviving the night.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Pegg/Frost/Wright fans, people who like sci-fi comedies, people who watching grown men behave like teenagers, those with a sense for irreverent humor.
No matter affairs of the heart though, for on June 22, 1990, Gary and his boys had the greatest night of their collective lives trying to walk "the Golden Mile:" A group of 12 pubs along a stretch of their native Newton Haven, a suburban town in the UK.
Fast-forward to the present and while the rest of his old gang has moved on to more respectable, adult lives, Gary is the same guy as he ever was, with the same coat, the same car (a.k.a. "The Beast") ... And he's 40. But instead of recognizing it's time to grow up, Gary is concentrating on re-living the glory days of his youth – and finally completing the Golden Mile. Twisting everyone's arm, Gary convinces his old crew, even his now estranged (and sober) best friend Andy, to return to Newton Haven to complete the task and make it all the way to final pub on the path, The World's End.
But upon their arrival, Gary and his crew quickly realize they are not the only ones who have changed as everyone in Newton Haven seems to be acting a little ... Odd. And once they figure out what's going on, staying the course on the Golden Mile might be their only chance of surviving the night.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Pegg/Frost/Wright fans, people who like sci-fi comedies, people who watching grown men behave like teenagers, those with a sense for irreverent humor.
WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM?: People who didn't "get" Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, people who don't enjoy British comedic sensibilities, those who are finding Pegg/Frost/Wright's collaborations to be a little repetitive.
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Good, but there are a few hints that Pegg & Wright are starting to show a little age of their own in their movie-making formula.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: A nice recovery from Paul, their sci-fi comedy for Universal Pictures about a foul-mouthed alien (think a live action American Dad! episode with two guys that are both the Jeff character, just not as funny), The World's End is a logical next step in Pegg's cinematic evolution as an actor while further showcasing Wright's skill behind the lens. (Wright was not associated with Paul ... Wise man.) Sticking with some of the same themes of their previous works – grown men not becoming grown men until forced to do so, laziness, friendship and of course, drinking – The World's End expands on those themes ... All without losing their comedic sensibilities.
Pegg, as fine as comedic chameleon as their is these days movie-wise, delivers a solid performance as Gary, a man-child much like his beloved Shaun character. As Gary, he mixes in just enough stupidity, charm, self-assurance in the face of terrible situations and confidence to keep things moving along nicely with the rest of the cast bobbing and weaving along to roll with the punchlines. The film is not as overtly funny as Shaun or Fuzz, however, as the humor comes develops more from watching grown men having to deal with Gary's logic (or lack thereof) coupled with the lunacy of the situation. (If you want to know what I mean by that last sentence, watch the trailer if you haven't seen one on TV/online already.)
It's worth noting the a very nice job Frost does, too, as the film's most straight-laced character as his performance as the conscious Gary never wanted makes their odd-couple pairing – especially when considering their buddy relationship in all their other works – even more effective as a result. Then again, this is what Pegg and Wright do – explore some aspect of the human condition by throwing their characters into a crazy situation where they are forced to do so. It works in The World's End, but once you know the formula, it does give you an idea of what to expect so the nuances are quite as nuanced as they once were.
Save for an ending that may leave fans thinking they could have written a better one, you'll likely enjoy The World's End as it delivers the same signature glib banter, drinking-related humor and insane fight sequences are all present while examining growing older, happiness, friendship and the various ways the pursuit/reality of those things affect our lives. (There is a lack of references/genre play as compared to other, more serious films and pop culture in its cannon, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.)
And that's enough to keep the end of the world from happening – at least as it applies to Pegg, Wright and Frost making another movie together again.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: A nice recovery from Paul, their sci-fi comedy for Universal Pictures about a foul-mouthed alien (think a live action American Dad! episode with two guys that are both the Jeff character, just not as funny), The World's End is a logical next step in Pegg's cinematic evolution as an actor while further showcasing Wright's skill behind the lens. (Wright was not associated with Paul ... Wise man.) Sticking with some of the same themes of their previous works – grown men not becoming grown men until forced to do so, laziness, friendship and of course, drinking – The World's End expands on those themes ... All without losing their comedic sensibilities.
Pegg, as fine as comedic chameleon as their is these days movie-wise, delivers a solid performance as Gary, a man-child much like his beloved Shaun character. As Gary, he mixes in just enough stupidity, charm, self-assurance in the face of terrible situations and confidence to keep things moving along nicely with the rest of the cast bobbing and weaving along to roll with the punchlines. The film is not as overtly funny as Shaun or Fuzz, however, as the humor comes develops more from watching grown men having to deal with Gary's logic (or lack thereof) coupled with the lunacy of the situation. (If you want to know what I mean by that last sentence, watch the trailer if you haven't seen one on TV/online already.)
It's worth noting the a very nice job Frost does, too, as the film's most straight-laced character as his performance as the conscious Gary never wanted makes their odd-couple pairing – especially when considering their buddy relationship in all their other works – even more effective as a result. Then again, this is what Pegg and Wright do – explore some aspect of the human condition by throwing their characters into a crazy situation where they are forced to do so. It works in The World's End, but once you know the formula, it does give you an idea of what to expect so the nuances are quite as nuanced as they once were.
Save for an ending that may leave fans thinking they could have written a better one, you'll likely enjoy The World's End as it delivers the same signature glib banter, drinking-related humor and insane fight sequences are all present while examining growing older, happiness, friendship and the various ways the pursuit/reality of those things affect our lives. (There is a lack of references/genre play as compared to other, more serious films and pop culture in its cannon, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.)
And that's enough to keep the end of the world from happening – at least as it applies to Pegg, Wright and Frost making another movie together again.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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