ALL GOOD things must come to an end, so the saying goes, and that’s certainly true with The World’s End, the third and final installment of the so-called Cornetto Trilogy, created by the talented British duo of director Edgar Wright and actor Simon Pegg.
The World’s End covers the adventures of five old friends on a misbegotten pub crawl through the so-called “Golden Mile” of Newton Haven, but its really a further meditation on the themes of friendships and growing up previously explored in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, the two previous films from the same team which collectively with this final installment, are known as the Cornetto Trilogy. And while the performances of Pegg and co-star Nick Frost are more confidently realized than in their previous outings, and Wright’s direction considerably more bravura, the film is never quite as satisfying as the two films that came before.
The movie is adroitly set up in the opening credits, narrated by Pegg, who, as Gary King, was the big man on campus at his Newton Haven high school, and who organized an epic pub crawl through twelve local pubs on his last day at school with his four closest friends, which ended in failure (and worse) for some of its members. Fast forward twenty years to the present day, and Gary, who we quickly realized is quite a loser these days, has never got over the fact that the best day of his life happened twenty years ago. After a particularly painful session in some unnamed twelve-step program, he resolves to get the gang back together to essay the infamous Golden Mile once again. Although now everyone is two decades older, living lives of quiet respectability and in various states of marital bliss or otherwise. Naturally it takes some doing, but in the end his four old mates pitch up, in the form of Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Martin Freeman and Nick Frost.
The bickering and one-liners between the group, most of whom have no idea why they agreed to come, are funny and frequent, but things quickly take a darker turn when they realize the town’s inhabitants are not quite what they seem. Instead of doing what any normal group would do in the same situation – i.e. get the hell out of town – they resolve to finish the pub crawl, no matter what the cost – which could be their lives. In the end some of the gang fall by the wayside, but Gary and former best friend Andy (Frost) make it all the way to the end, for the final showdown with their nemesis.
The World’s End works both as a comedy and as a more bittersweet reflection on ageing and reunions. While “Shaun” paid tribute to George Romero’s zombie films, and “Hot Fuzz” was a valentine to American 80s action films, director Wright has stated that he watched “The Big Chill” and “It’s Always Fair Weather” in order to get in the mood for a reunion films. You can also see snatches of John Carpenter, classic sci-fi, and most notably Hong Kong action movies given some of the amazing fight scenes in cramped places that take place with the increasingly-inebriated gang. The logic of forty-something sedentary British males turning into action heroes is blissfully ignored, of course.
In sum, The World’s End is not as satisfying emotionally or even as credible as its predecessors, but what makes it worthwhile is a non-stop stream of funny lines, and the confidence of the performers. Apart from Pegg and Frost, the other three members of the gang are all superbly cast. There is a chemistry and electricity between the group that really makes up for some of the weaker elements of the whole.
The World’s End. Focus Features. Directed by Edgar Wright. Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan.
Running Time: 109 minutes. Rated R
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