REVIEW: The World's End

Courtesy of Focus

Even if I wasn’t already in the tank for anything Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost create, their latest collaboration would pique my interest based on its subject matter alone. On the surface, The World’s End is a fun genre movie about friends, beer and sci-fi elements best left unspoiled. However, by the third act, viewers will likely be asking themselves tough questions about damaged relationships, being a responsible adult and the dangers of nostalgia.

The World’s End is the final installment in what the trio calls their Cornetto Trilogy, a loosely connected series of films beginning with Shaun of the Dead and continuing with Hot Fuzz, that addresses the expectations of adulthood and society’s prerequisites of masculinity. It essentially serves as the exclamation point that sums up everything these hilarious and intelligent movies have been trying to say.

Pegg – who co-wrote the screenplay with director Wright – plays Gary King, a 40-year-old man whose life peaked when he was 18. That’s when he and his four best friends (played by Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan) attempted an epic pub crawl, known as the Golden Mile, in their hometown of Newton Haven. They almost made it, but drunkenly flamed out as the evening progressed.

Two decades later, Gary tracks down his mates – all of them with respectable careers and stable relationships – and somehow convinces them to return to Newton Haven and try again. His powers of persuasion are even more miraculous considering Frost’s character downright hates Gary and hasn’t had a drink since the two of them were involved in a mysterious accident years ago.

A couple of hours into the pub crawl, it’s going about as miserably as you’d expect. Gary is attempting to recreate his glory days, while the rest of the group is just trying to humor this guy so they can go about their lives. It’s clear they’ve outgrown this town (and their friend) and they can’t wait to leave. That’s when something crazy happens, and I won’t spoil the fun by talking about it here.

Let’s just say that pretty soon the Golden Mile is the least of their worries, but Gary insists they complete the task. He somehow believes that reaching the final pub, The World’s End, will somehow solve all of their problems. Since none of them has a better idea, they follow Gary deeper into the madness.

It bugs me when critics and marketing people reduce new films to “it’s Movie A meets Movie B!” However, I feel like that cliché might help The World’s End, considering the film is probably not on many non-geeks’ radars. I’ve seen some critics call it The Big Chill meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which feels like an appropriate combination.

In the first half hour or so, Wright and Pegg’s razor-sharp script sets up the premise, slyly foreshadows coming events and establishes the personal relationships and conflicts of the main characters. With that knowledge of the narrative’s key factors in place, the film shifts gears in a bizarre but hilariously clever fashion. Like the best science fiction, it comments on important issues – i.e., clinging too tightly to the past, or the steady corporatization of our culture – by transforming them into a slightly different, but equally dangerous threat. And just as he does in his previous films, Wright manages to satirize the genre while paying homage to it.

Of course, that doesn’t matter without the right actors to bring the screenplay to life. Wright, Pegg and Frost have worked together long enough to know what they’re capable of, so they simultaneously give their hardcore fan base the expected laughs and camaraderie, while also providing themselves with a chance to stretch their acting muscles.

Gary King might be the most complex protagonist Pegg has ever played, and not just because he’s such an unpleasant character on the surface. He’s a man who’s keenly aware that his former friends both dislike and pity him, but he continues to push forward toward his goal with the hope that simply accomplishing it will make his life better. Every word and deed is full of arrogance and bluster that futilely attempts to hide his self-loathing, and Pegg absolutely pulls it off. It’s a stellar performance.

Frost is just as good in an entirely different role than Cornetto Trilogy fans have come to expect. In the past he has played an immature man-child who dragged down his best friend (Shaun of the Dead) and an endearing human St. Bernard who helped the main character loosen up a little (Hot Fuzz). In The World’s End, he’s the straight man who hates his former best friend, and a stuffy lawyer who transforms into a bona fide action hero. I was blown away by his unexpected range.

The supporting cast is equally strong, particularly Marsan. His quiet, subtle performance is in danger of going unappreciated because he plays it so small, as opposed to the more traditional (but equally entertaining) ensemble work from Considine, Freeman and Rosamund Pike. There are also a couple of fun cameos, but it’d be a shame to ruin the surprise.

The World’s End might prove divisive because of its genuinely bold ending, but I’m all for mainstream movies that have the guts to take chances. The Cornetto Trilogy and the summer movie season are officially over, but they both finished strong. I can’t wait to watch this one again – it practically requires multiple viewings.

The World’s End is rated R for pervasive language including sexual references.

Grade: A-