Shaun of the Dead
is widely considered to be one of the best zombie movies of the modern era.
Yet, it also works as a great romantic comedy that just happens to have zombies
in it. Hot Fuzz wasn't just a clever
send-up of overblown action movies; it could also be enjoyed as a straight up
action flick with car chases and stylish gunplay. Now, writer/director Edgar
Wright teams with actors Simon Pegg (who co-wrote the screenplay) and Nick Frost
once more to cap off his Cornetto Trilogywith The World's End. Once again,
Wright isn't content to play around in one genre. The World's End is a wonderful mixture of drama, comedy, sci-fi,
and 70's paranoia cinema along the lines of The
Wicker Man or Invasion of the Body
Snatchers.
Andy Knightley (Frost), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine),
Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman), and Peter Page (Eddie Marsan) were the
best of friends while growing up in the small town of Newton Haven. The glue
that held the clique together was Gary King (Pegg), a real force of nature
whose thirst for life was infectious. Time passed and everyone grew apart. They
all left Newton Haven to become working professionals with the exception of
Gary King, who hasn't changed at all in the past two decades. Unsatisfied with
adulthood, Gary longs to relive the glory of his youth and the time he almost
completed the "Golden Mile," an epic pub crawl through a dozen bars.
In spite of bad blood between Gary and Andy, the gang gets back together to
finish the Golden Mile, but find out the hard way that sometimes you can't go
home again.
The World's End deftly
explores various themes of disillusionment and middle-age malaise. While the
characters appear to be successful, they aren't entirely happy. The meek Peter
is the most obvious answer. He's clearly buckling under the pressure of working
for his father-in-law and still harboring the effects of childhood bullying.
Steven still pines for his unrequited love, Sam (Rosamund Pike), Oliver's
younger sister who had a one-time fling with Gary in a men's room. Gary has had
tremendous difficulty battling his addictions, which he masks underneath layers
of braggadocio. There's also an aura of melancholy throughout the movie
stemming from how much Newton Haven has changed since the protagonists moved
away. The small town charm has vanished and been replaced by corporatized
homogeny, a phenomenon sharply referred to as "Starbucking." That
sense of nostalgia is wonderfully conveyed through a grainy prologue shot in
16mm of the gang in their high school days and a soundtrack of 90's Britpop
(Primal Scream, The Stone Roses, etc.). Alone, these plot threads would have
been more than enough to craft a satisfying dramedy. However, Wright throws in
an additional twist that kicks The
World's End onto a whole other level.
Nobody in Newtown Haven seems to remember the great Gary
King. Has he really changed that much? No, you see, it's because the entire
town has been taken over by robot duplicates from outer space. This allows
Wright to stage several bar brawls infused with the type of choreography
generally reserved for Hong Kong action films. Highlighted by fluid camera
movements, the fights are innovative without forgetting that these are ordinary
blokes engaging in fisticuffs. This is such a slick and gorgeously shot film, you'd never believe it was made with a budget of only $20 million.
The performances are strong all around, but Pegg and Frost
are easily the highlights of The World's
End. In previous outings, Pegg has played the straight man to Frost's
overgrown man-child. Here, the dynamic has been flipped to fantastic results
with Pegg injecting a surprising amount of pathos to the character. He probably
won't get a lot of recognition during awards season, which would be a shame. As
Gary, Pegg manages to walk a thin line between being a lovable scoundrel and a
delusional jerk. If The World's End has
any weak spots, one would be that Rosamund Pike, the only significant female in
the picture, deserved more screen time along with Pierce Brosnan, who makes only
a brief cameo.
Edgar Wright is one of the most exciting and original
directors working in movies today. The energy and passion that he brings to his
films is undeniable. The World's End is
another cinematic triumph and one of the best pictures of 2013.
Rating: *** ½ (*****)
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