Le dernier pub avant la fin du monde

I must start by admitting to have reviewed this previously and removed it, last time round I must have been in a bad mood, I criticised it for going off the boil, however in recent times I've gotten so into it, it's meant to be bonkers, outrageous and utterly over the top and it sure is. I think there's something incredibly British about the humour, the world could come to an end, but there's still time for nostalgia, and more importantly there's still time for a pint. It's still perhaps my least favourite of The Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, but the other two are that good, and hard acts to follow. It is clever, it's witty, and which of us doesn't know a Gary? If only it didn't have to be a trilogy, would have loved more from this successful group, it's an underrated gem.

Five pre-middle-aged male friends are drawn to Newton Haven, the site of their failed dozen-pub crawl as students in 1990. They're led by Gary King (Simon Pegg). He's the one who couldn't move on from that night; couldn't get a job like them, or get married like them. Reluctant revelry and bad-tempered banter ensues, before the gang discovers that the residents of the town have changed. That is, they have BEEN changed...

The World's End is considerably better than the ostensibly similar This Is The End, a super-indulgent American comedy which mistook f-bombs for humour and name-dropping for satire. Edgar Wright's film is indulgent also, but at the service of audience enjoyment, as opposed to the enjoyment of the players. The script is surprisingly dense and intricate, many of its jokes arriving bittersweet. In an era when so many comedies are heavily (and lazily) improvised, it's refreshing to watch a tightly woven story unfold for once.

The action scenes are given equal attention, lovingly choreographed like some kind of slapstick dance. Chief pugilist is Andrew, our sort-of-hero, played by Nick Frost with remarkable agility. This instalment is far less bloodthirsty than its predecessors - more Scott Pilgrim than Shaun.

The rest of the group is made up of Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, and Martin Freeman. The performances are all top-drawer, although it takes time for their individual personalities to emerge. But then, the fact that they are now practically indistinguishable may be the point - for all their disapproval of Gary, they are the ones playing it safe.

What's most impressive about The World's End is the fact that it's actually about something. Nostalgia is easy to indulge but difficult to deconstruct, but this film genuinely aspires to explore the idea of selective memory - as with a bad hangover, our memories tends to return in subjective spasms, and the truth is only accessible by gathering multiple witnesses. And the truth isn't always what it cracked up to be.

The World's End is, for me, the best of the "Cornetto Trilogy". Highly recommended.

Five friends return to their hometown to relive a pub crawl they never finished in their youth, however, they find their town has been invaded by interstellar beings 'Blanks' and the crawl could literary kill them.

Director/writer Edger Wright returns with this British set, sci-fi, beer-fuelled pub crawl yarn. Once again like Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007) what makes this so likable is the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost combination - the two have great chemistry, they're not only funny but warm too. There's plenty of camaraderie between the five friends mixed with the humorous restlessness of a school reunion.

The on location feel gives it an air of realism and captures a current British small town perfectly. Wright once again shows that he's at the top of his game, the action scenes are wonderfully executed and the effects are superb. The soundtrack oozes nostalgia and accompanying music score is fitting. Some jokes my go over some international viewer's heads, but the majority cater for all.

The first half of the film injects the most one liners and comedy output with the old gang rejoining and their return to the town, while the second is more action orientated when they go head to head with the invaders. The beings glowing eyes are reminiscent of Demons (1985) while the set up feels like Invasion of the Body Snatcher (1956/78) only with a twist and the closing confrontation plays out like an episode of Star Trek/Doctor Who followed by an outlandish flash-forward.

There's plenty of homage's thrown in just for fun, Pegg as washed up excitable alcoholic/drug intoxicated Gary King plays against the usual nice guy, here he's a man you love to hate, you really want him to succeed. Frost is kick-ass lovable. It's strength is that you care about the fate of the characters. The supporting cast are excellent including (surprisingly well cast) Rosamund Pike, Martin Freeman to name a few and a surprise cameo by an ex-Bond.

If Shaun was on the money, and Hot Fuzz was wordy, The World's End is somewhere in between. Highly recommended.

If you seen the other two movies in the so-called Cornetto Trilogy ("Shaun of the Dead" & "Hot Fuzz") then you already know what to expect from "The World's End". Like the others it is funny and full of unexpected and crazy twists and turns. The story follows five friends who decide to reunite and finish the pub crawl they were not able to complete 20 years ago. Everything is going fine and then all hell breaks loose. You know you're probably in for a wild and fun ride and that is exactly what you get. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost kind of switch roles from their previous movies, Frost is the one that has it together and Pegg doesn't. It works well and they still maintain their great humor and wit. The supporting cast is equally funny with Eddie Marsan being a highlight. The movie if full of great one liners and some absolutely hilarious moment. If you liked "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" or if you just like wild and fun movies then you'll like "The World's End". It is funny, clever, and a hell of a ride.

The Smashing Pumpkins may have mused that 'The End is the Beginning is the End,' but Edgar Wright knew better. He knew that for his beloved 'Cornetto Trilogy,' he would need an ending that could somehow tie up all of its strains of manic, voracious genre pastiche, savage wit and silliness, and, most importantly, its symphony to the reluctant aging of the schlubby, post- Shaun adult male. He knew he needed to do something special.

So, in the words of Shaun, "what do you mean, DO something?" Well, getting the old gang together for a nostalgia-fuelled 'one last job' pub crawl, charged with more emotional weight and subtext than meets the eye should about do it. In this regard, Cornetto #3 is by far the most personal, mature, reflective, bittersweet and cognizant film in Wright's oeuvre. It knowingly winks at his past works (don't forget to say hi to Brian, Marsha, and Tires, listen for the fruit machine, and enjoy an appropriately sly Cornetto cameo), while introducing some of his most hysterically snappy wordplay yet ("maybe it's a windoor...!"). And, as no Wright film could ever be that straightforward, it's also, naturally, about the end of the world. Duh.

To some, The World's End will be a cracking sci-fi pastiche - Invasion of the Body Snatchers handled with the chilly British terseness of The Day of the Triffids. To others, it's a riotous, boozy action-comedy with a kickass set of tunes, and prime viewing before hitting the pub (or several) with your mates. All of these things are true. But for me, it will always be a film about growing up. A film about finding closure, and purpose. A film about coming home and moving on at once. A film encouraging the Gary King in all of us to make peace with friends, the past, the future, and ourselves. It's the perfect filmic encapsulation of playing James Bond video games in my adolescent basement. And it's a film about pursuing your dreams, even - nay, especially - if your dreams are pointless, idiotic, and involve a sh*t-ton of drinking.

Things get going at an almost ponderously slow and repetitive pace, forcing the viewer to be bludgeoned by Gary King, alongside his estranged high school buddies, into going on his quest with him. The tone is fun, but with a bit of an edge, Pegg bravely playing obnoxious at full tilt, keeping it unclear as to whether you can or should like him. But, upon arriving in the impossibly quaint Newton Haven (and here Wright coins the most on-the-nose term for cultural assimilation and the dearth of family-run local business: "Starbucking". Remember that theme; it'll come in handy later), things pick up, and then some. Here, King's raucous enthusiasm becomes almost worrisome, especially in contrast with his bemused buddies, all more content to act their ages. Thankfully, the sci-fi framework comes to the rescue right when King is on the cusp of having to be serious. The solution, like fellow extraterrestrial alcoholicomedy Grabbers? Keep drinking - to "blend in", of course. And, as the Doors kick in, that's where the fun really begins.

Wright's characteristic swish-pans and dynamic sound effects, paired with some of the most intricately crunchy fight choreography seen in ages make The World's End thrilling in the most visceral sense. There's no purer cinematic joy than a long-take tracking shot of Pegg weaving in and out of a chaotic robot throwdown, stepping on bar stools and counter tops, sipping his pint and throwing the occasional like a tipsy Buster Keaton, and it's impossible not to share in Wright's glee. The robot designs are eerily simple, the pace and physical slapstick are howlingly perfect, while the grim, sepia lighting is perfectly atmospheric for the intensifying sci-fi peril and slurring melodrama unfolding. And the climactic, belligerent belch of a speech demanding agency on behalf of the human race? I dare you to find more galvanizing words.

Gary King is a courageously different Simon Pegg than has been unleashed before, and his manic energy, boundless but strained charisma and desperate arrogance make for his most achingly human (but still hilarious) creation yet. Nick Frost also digs into unforeseen dramatic meat, pairing his juggernaut physical comedy with real pain and hard-won regret, all the funnier for being so truthful. There's also a gag involving him (literally) punching a clock which may be the funniest in Wright's oeuvre. Paddy Considine and Martin Freeman collectively ace the two sides of the middle-aged-hipster coin (post-meathead athletic emotional sensitivity and antiquated, bluetoothed tech-speak respectively), while Eddie Marsan finds both huge laughs and the most raw hangdog pathos in the sweetness of Peter Page. Sadly, in the film's only real fault, Edgar's boys club has no proper room for Rosamund Pike, and it's a real shame, as she's on typically superb form, and amiably hilarious to boot. As this instalment's former-007-turned- villain-with-uncomfortable-facial-hair, Pierce Brosnan tweaks his debonair charm and silky Irish accent to their most calmly sinister, while the inevitable Bill Nighy is deliciously bemused as a big lamp who just won't f*ck off back to Legoland.

The World's End (or, as everyone should henceforth refer to it, 'Smashy-Smashy-Egg-Men'), is not only a stupendously satisfying Cornetto resolution. It's perfectly paced, technically flawless, thrilling, hugely fun, and bravely emotional romp. It's arguably the funniest and most real mediation on friends, homecomings, and befuddled male aging to date. It's a belligerently, obstinately, chaotically, damn good film. It's something truly special. So hop into the Beast, blare those Soup Dragons, and ride Wright's beautiful disaster all the way to the bitter end. Or lager end. Because, be honest: what could be a more heartfelt answer to Primal Scream's recurring query - "Just what is it that you want to do?"

-10/10