![The World's End [2013]](https://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/the-worlds-end-poster.jpg)
The World’s End [2013]
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Genre: Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan
Running Time: 109 minutes
It’s amazing what a difference 20 years makes, especially those years immediately after high school. Friends come and go, many start families, and some find lucrative jobs elsewhere. However, there are some that simply don’t change.
Gary King (Simon Pegg) is one such stalwart who is stuck in a high school mindset. A recovering alcoholic and drug addict (though obviously not fully committed to sobering up), Gary reminisces at an AA meeting about an epic pub crawl he and his mates once attempted during high school. The crawl, a 12-pub trip through their hometown of Newton Haven, was never fully completed. While telling his story, he realizes that he badly wants to see the pub crawl through to the end.
Gary starts reaching out to his long-lost pals, convincing Peter (Eddie Marsan), Oliver (Martin Freeman) and Steven (Paddy Considine) to join him fairly easily. The wild card is Andy (Nick Frost), who hasn’t had a drop of alcohol in 16 years after being involved in a serious accident. Yet even he manages to agree after being told a sob story by Gary; the caveat being that he drink tap water instead.
![The World's End [2013]](https://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/the-worlds-end.jpg)
And so the gang gets back together, some 20 years later, all living vastly different lives. Gary hasn’t changed a bit since high school — in fact, he is still wearing the same Sisters of Mercy t-shirt he wore during the initial pub crawl attempt — but the others seem to be well off. It takes some time for the five of them to bond, especially as Gary is all over the place with his childish behavior and inappropriate comments.
As the beers start flowing and the guys begin opening up, it’s a blast to listen to them shoot the shit over a few pints. However, it doesn’t take long for them to realize that something is a little off with their hometown. I won’t get into spoilers here, but the film goes in a *completely* different direction around the time the fellas hit the third pub. Things are not at all as they seem in little old Newton Haven.
![The World's End [2013]](https://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/the-worlds-end-beer.jpg)
This jarring transition still brings plenty of laughs and some surprisingly spectacular fighting choreography, but it loses a little something along the way. There was potential for a genuinely great film about old friends catching up and trying to relive their “glory days”, but the zany direction the film takes feels like a bit of a setback. As such, this doesn’t quite live up to those from the rest of the Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz).
At the same time, there is still a lot to like here. The mashup of movie genres means you never know what’s going to happen next, and every member of the cast has their fair share of humorous lines. It’s also cool to see Simon Pegg play such a foul, lowlife character who still somehow manages to get us on board with him.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that The World’s End comes after two brilliant comedies from Wright/Pegg/Frost. This is clearly the weakest of the trilogy, but then again, it was always going to be hard to top its predecessors. The World’s End is an enjoyable film, albeit a messy one, but I hope it’s not the last we see from these guys.
it’s on my list of movies to see.
It’s a fun movie. Hope you enjoy it!
Fine look, Eric. I enjoyed this a tad more. My kids and I were repeating lines after the movie. Always a good sign.
Thanks, Michael. This is definitely a quotable film. Glad you enjoyed it so much. 🙂
Good review Eric. Even if it isn’t the best of the trilogy, it’s still heaps of fun that’s worth seeing with a bunch of friends, as well as some pints if at all possible.
Yep, beer and friends are definitely the way to go for this one. Thanks, Dan.
I do agree that it is the weakest member of the trilogy, but I loved it. I think it would have been even better if I weren’t looking at it like the third in a series with two classics, but calling it a trilogy makes me draw immediate comparisons.
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. It’s hard not to compare this to the first two films, but it’s still fun in its own right.
Glad you enjoyed this more than I did. I think the first half about old friends catching up and trying to relive their “glory days” is more fun to watch than the later half when it became a sci-fi action adventure. Overall it’s not as funny as I had hoped, though I still love the cast.
I agree with Ruth, I also didn’t find this one funny 😦
Ah, sorry to hear that. Will you be reviewing this one?
Nah, I still need to finish my The Hunt and Mud reviews and they both were so much better than this one.
Oooh nice. Mud is great, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about The Hunt. Can’t wait to see that one.
Yeah, I was loving the movie during its first act, but it wasn’t quite as funny when the sci-fi stuff kicked in. Still an enjoyable movie, but I understand where you’re coming from.
Nice review. I really liked this one, though I think Shaun and Hot Fuzz are funnier.
Thanks man. It was always going to be hard to top those two, but this is still fun on its own.
I love* the first two films, so I am really looking forward to seeing The World’s End. *(read: slightly obesssed with lol)
Haha, well I hope you enjoy this one!
The Cornetto Trilogy movies are all excellent! I always love the tandem of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Never get tired of watching their movies. I watched Hot Fuzz 7x, Shaun of the Dead 5x and The World’s End 2x!!! Including Paul (3x)Two thumbs up!!! Looking forward of their new films.
Wow, you are quite the fan! Glad to see you enjoyed Paul, too. It’s not on the same level as the Cornetto trilogy, but it’s still good fun.