By ANDREW LINK
(digitalBURG) – There should be a little instinctual revulsion at the idea of a film about adults looking back on their youth with fondness made by adults looking back on their youth with fondness. Amazingly, that kitschy feeling is nowhere to be found, instead giving way to the sense that writers Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are actually sincere.
It would generally be easy to miss any mote of sincerity in a comedy that throws jokes at you every other line, but the fusion between real-life experience and hilarity is so well done in “The World’s End” that it’s difficult not to take the ludicrously archetypical characters seriously, in spite of your gut reaction.
Even the monologue introducing us to the film is practically poetry. Other than an unexpectedly weird ending, this movie was so well-written that it stands well on its own, despite being largely considered the final film of the “Cornetto Trilogy.”
While those who have seen “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” will appreciate why the rest of the audience is laughing at the jingle a machine in the background is playing, it’s not necessary to have seen Pegg’s other movies to appreciate “The World’s End.”
There are plenty of references to the previous two films and fans will likely notice more and more subtle Easter eggs as they rewatch “The World’s End,” but the film carries its own weight in a highly satisfying way.
As much as I love comedies, I tend to be the stoic sort who doesn’t crack a smile the entire time, no matter how funny I think a movie was.
It’s a real testament that “The World’s End” made me physically, openly laugh. At one point I had to take off my glasses to wipe tears from my eyes, only to start laughing again because the couple behind me was laughing so hard that I couldn’t stop either.
For fans, “The World’s End” will be almost exactly what you’re expecting. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have done a little role reversal, placing Frost in the more serious role this time to great effect.
It’s easily Frost’s best role to date, and it’s good to see him using a little versatility rather than just being “the funny fat guy in the Simon Pegg movies.” While Frost bears special note, the entire cast is well-balanced and cohesive, right down to Pierce Brosnan as a high school guidance counselor.
The cinematography is on point with the previous two films, using the same fantastic way of drawing the viewer into the group rather than making us distant observers.
The point-of-view shots standard to the series are used intelligently and sparingly. Most notably, the team found money for the tripod that all the other films this summer have failed to purchase.
The wit of “The World’s End” comes largely from having a little life experience under one’s belt, so despite the “R” rating a younger crowd might not appreciate it as much as the other films of the trilogy.
However, if that’s the case, the theater I was in gave no indication.
The college and late-teen crowd seemed to relate well enough to the idea of a pub-crawl and enjoyed themselves despite totally missing the message of the film.
That message, by the way, was actually a bit sad for a few seconds before we were thrown back into the core cast dismembering not-robots like especially fragile Barbie dolls.
I’d normally spend some time picking apart the small things that keep the film from getting a perfect score. Those little things that lead my naysayers to claim that I hate everything, or help my loyal readers save some cash on films that aren’t really worth paying to see.
Well, bullocks to all that, because I loved “The World’s End” and now is the time to spend that money you hopefully saved by heeding my sage advice and avoiding the other garbage that’s come out this season.
This is the one. Go.
In trilogy terms, “The World’s End” was a good deal better than “Hot Fuzz” and at least on par with “Shaun of the Dead,” if not better in a lot of ways. The nearly 10 years since “Shaun” has given the team time to refine its writing and filming styles to create a rare and polished end product.
And to the one person that ends up not liking “The World’s End,” I just want you to know that you’re “that guy” in your group of friends. I give this film a solid 8.0/10.