The World’s End, 2013.
Directed by Edgar Wright.
Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, David Bradley and Paddy Considine.
Assured performances from all the actors present make it very easy to like this film as all five friends get their own moment or two to give us a giggle. You can’t really single anyone out for special praise although I was pleasantly surprised at how funny I found Eddie Marsan (mainly due to his disturbingly memorable role in Tyrannosaur). There are also plenty of small cameos which you’ll be pleased with so I won’t spoil the fun by naming any of them here.
It has to be said though that most of the praise and credit for this movie should go to director Edgar Wright as you can see his influences throughout the piece. The World’s End is comprised of brilliantly crafted banter alongside trademark frenetic action and a soundtrack that perfectly complements what’s happening on screen.
Unfortunately though, the famed stylings of our director can’t quite cover up some niggling flaws within The World’s End which will stop you from hailing it as an instant classic.
The main issue that can be found is that if you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen a large chunk of the film’s set pieces and big jokes. While this is hardly a criticism of the movie, it has to be said that the marketing department had two brilliant movies (in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) to refer to and didn’t have to show you quite as much of this piece as they did.
Also, as fun as the characters are, it’s actually surprisingly difficult to like them all. Some are simply a little boring, some underutilised, while others are just plain unlikeable. The main issue with the characters is that the famed partnership of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost really doesn’t have the same warmth that was present in the previous two Cornetto films. While this may be an odd thought, they are the two who played such a large part in the success of the first two; they should be helping you to engage with the story and regrettably there isn’t much of that celebrated warmth on show.
I have to say though, you can’t fault Edgar Wright for the pacing of his movies but sometimes the balance in the tone is a little off. You occasionally get something either quite heartfelt or sad sandwiched in between supposed laugh out loud moments. While it doesn’t happen that often, the jump in tone takes you out of the movie for long enough that you notice. Thankfully though, the humour is of a high enough quality that you’re laughing away again soon.
It also has to be said as well that while Edgar Wright may have an excellent track record with genre fusing in his previous works, this time it doesn’t feel quite right. In Shaun of the Dead you had a rom-zom-com, in Hot Fuzz you had a buddy cop actioner in a rural village, but in this you have a simple pub crawl combined with an alien invasion. Despite the fact that this seems like it could be comedy gold, it doesn’t really feel that easy to get behind and at some points even annoys you slightly.
We swiftly get to the ending and this is where the film peters out a little. While still funny (with one of the biggest laughs of the film there for all the big Edgar Wright fans), there’s no real resolution or ending – meaning that you leave the viewing feeling slightly dissatisfied.
While I’ve mentioned the Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz a couple of times in this review, a good thing about this picture is that it’s not rehashing any jokes from the first two and is very much its own film. All in all, while I may have a couple of issues with The World’s End, this is an exceptionally funny film which showcases some of the very best of British comedy. Not quite as lovable or engaging as the preceding instalments of the Cornetto trilogy, The World’s End is still very much worth a watch.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Ozzy Armstrong is a Stargate and Rocky superfan. Follow him on Twitter.
Originally published July 9, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
