MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Comedy/Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, Sam Carmichael, David Bradley, Darren Boyd, Richard Hadfield, Michael Smiley, Sophie Evans, Samantha White, Steve Oram, Nicholas Burns, Reece Shearsmith, Flora Slorach, James Tarpey, Luke Bromley, Jasper Levine, Zachary Bailess, Thomas Law, Alice Lowe, Rafe Spall, Mark Heap; Voice of: Bill Nighy/Runtime: 109 minutes
If there is one type of movie I enjoy, but I don’t talk about nearly as much as I ought to dear reader it’s the type of movie that doesn’t exactly fit into one particular genre of movie magic. Now by that I don’t mean movies that manage to be two different genres at the same time (so sci-fi horror for Alien or Edge of Tomorrow for sci-fi action for example) though I certainly do love those movies as well especially when they are made with the level of skill and talent as the two examples mentioned. Rather, I guess what I mean is that I love when a slice of cinema I am watching starts out as one particular genre only to, typically, around the halfway point of the film suddenly shift and become an entirely different film altogether than you might have been expecting it to become when you first sat down and started watching it. Indeed it’s why in 1996 audiences must have been surprised when, whilst watching a little movie called From Dusk Till Dawn, what started as a road trip crime saga suddenly transformed into a horror film about surviving against bloodthirsty vampires at an exotic bar in the deserts of Mexico. Along with that example dear reader, I feel that the same could also be said of the highly underrated Bone Tomahawk from 2015 which starts out as a rollicking Western saga only to switch over to a story about surviving a pack cannibals a’la something you might see in something akin to The Hills Have Eyes (be it the original or the 2006 remake). Of course, it isn’t just limited to films that wind up turning in scary movies (I mean the movie Titanic plays like a romantic drama up until the ship hits the iceberg and 2011’s Cowboys and Aliens starts out like a Western until the first alien ship shows up), but by and large it does appear that they do have the greatest success rate at really throwing an audience for a loop. The reason I bring this up to you today dear reader is because the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today, 2013’s The World’s End, is another example of this riveting cinematic hybrid concept in action. Indeed here is a film that might start out like you are watching a British take on something like The Big Chill from 1983 before, at the halfway point, transforming itself into something more along the lines of 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. A combination that, if I’m being honest, should not work, but darn it all if this film hasn’t managed to accomplish just that. To be sure, this slice of cinema is by no means perfect, but when you throw into the mix a top-tier cast of players, a well-chosen soundtrack, phenomenal visual effects work, engaging action beats, and other fairly well-done work behind the camera what you are left with is a slice of cinema that simultaneously manages to be one of the more delightful sci-fi and comedy movies that 2013 sought fit to give us.
The plot is as follows: So according to the lore set up at the beginning of the film, in the long-ago year of 1990 a thick as thieves’ group of 5 British lads residing in the seemingly picturesque community of Newton Haven attempted something known throughout the town as the “Golden Mile”. No this isn’t something racy nor for that matter is it a stunt that either the show Impractical Jokers or the crew of a certain Johnny Knoxville movie franchise might try for giggles. Rather, this is the town pub crawl or, if you prefer, an alcohol-drenched odyssey through the 12 pubs in the town that eventually culminates at one known as The World’s End (hence the title). Yet despite the quintet giving it their best-go, we see that through circumstances of the sober and not so sober varieties that they tragically and ultimately are not able to complete their quest. From there, the film moves ahead a solid 2 decades where we see that our tight-knit bunch have, more or less, grown up and not really gotten the chance to see much of each other as of late. The reason I add more or less incidentally dear reader is because whilst 4 of the boys have gone on to carve out respectable paths in life and make something of themselves, there is *of course* one who doesn’t quite have it all together. That being the self-proclaimed leader of the group, and thriving alcoholic, Gary King. Yet despite the fact that this manchild is clearly one whose chance to be a hardworking and productive member of society probably came and went as quickly as the latest round he drank the night before, we see that there is one thing he has been working on. Namely a reunion with his 4 old chums where they all head back to Newton Haven and attempt to finish what they started 2 decades prior. Yet despite the fact that not only do all 4 of the others not really have a lot of desire to do so, to say nothing of each having their own unresolved issues with Gary, we see that they (however reluctantly) decide to join him on this homecoming of sorts. Not just because they feel sorry for their stuck in perpetual limbo maturity wise friend, but because his maturity in flux style is oddly endearing in a way as well. Yet, upon their arrival back in town, we see that the squad slowly but surely begins to notice something rather odd. That being that not only do the various pubs along the proverbial mile look awful similar to one another, but that everyone in town seems a bit….off for lack of a better word. A suspicion that the group is able to confirm when circumstances see them discover that most of the town has been replaced by blue-blooded androids. Thus with the help of one of their group’s sister, can our squad not only make it to the end of the crawl, but (even more importantly) stay human and get out of town in one piece? That I will leave for you to discover…..
Now right off, it should be said that the work done behind the camera is consistently great, but it is also by no means perfect. This starts with the skill showcased by Edgar Wright at the helm and, much like he did with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, he does top-notch work here. Indeed in terms of comedy it says something about Wright’s skill that he can make us laugh by doing nothing more than cutting at just the right moment and/or rotating the camera in a creative manner, making us emotional through a script that contains a fair bit of pathos to go along with the comedy and insanity, and also keeping us on the edge of your seat with action beats that (despite being in fairly close quarters more often than not) are actually quite riveting to a significant degree. Speaking of those action beats it should be said that we get wonderful work here from stunt coordinator Bradley James Allan at taking how we might think a group of British dudes engaging in a series of drunken brawls would look like and then astonishingly transforming them more so into fights that you might see in a martial arts movie akin to something like Drunken Master from 1978 albeit ones with blue blood being spilt and robot parts flying all over the place (and often being used against the robots themselves at times). It also doesn’t hurt the action beats that the work done by the cinematography department, headed by (of all people) the same guy who did them for The Matrix, is able to showcase them as crisp and composed as possible whilst the editing department ensures that these moments, and the entirety of the film come to think, is showcased to us in a manner that is so clear and easy to discern that Michael Bay and some other modern day gonzo action movie makers should take notes to use on their own efforts. Far and away though one of the most underrated efforts in terms of the behind the camera work has to be in terms of the work done on this film’s soundtrack. Indeed, less a soundtrack and more a tribute album to the bands that its leads (and director) surely grew up with, this film is full to the brim with songs by such icons as Blur, Pulp, The Soup Dragons, The Happy Mondays and even Sisters of Mercy (who gets showcased with a song, rockin’ T-shirt, and a quite intriguing chest tattoo at one point) that is sure to have old school rock fans banging their heads in glee. With those positives in mind however, there are a few issues to be found with this particular cinematic outing. For starters, this slice of cinema not only is stricken with a wee bit of pacing that feels a bit too lethargic for its own good, but it is also hampered down by a runtime that every so often seems like it is stretching itself too far. Perhaps the main thing though is the fact that, for as novel of a premise as the titular pub crawl is, it’s also a bit of a detriment as well. This is because despite the ingenious symbolism present in having the clearly wistful individual of Gary retrace his steps, it also is a bit difficult to accept that once things start going awry that the gang would just stick to the plan instead of get the heck out of there. Even with those quibbles in mind however, there is no denying the skill present in the work done behind the camera.
Of course, the other big ingredient that helps this cinematic brew remain as enjoyable and lively as it turns out to be is, without question, the work done by the talented cast of players in front of the camera as well. This without a doubt starts with the performance given by Simon Pegg in the lead role of Gary King and honestly this is a very challenging role for the usually affable Pegg to take on. This is because, unlike say Benji Dunn from the Mission: Impossible movies, Gary is by no means someone who is worthy of our, or even the other characters present in the film’s, sympathies. Indeed not only is he someone who is definitely stuck in the past, but he is also a very uncouth, selfish, bombastic, and more than slightly jerkish individual who in any other film would be someone we as movie goers would be rooting against. Yet, through the work done by Pegg in the role, Gary might still fit that aforementioned description quite well, but we do also (however reluctantly) find ourselves actually empathizing with him to a degree (as small as it may be) especially as the film goes along. Suffice it to say that he might be too much for some movie goers to handle, but for those who are able to stick it out there is no denying that this performance is definitely a wonderful example of Pegg’s skills as an actor. It should also be said that this film manages to get an equally as brilliant performance out of Nick Frost in the role of Andy and whose dynamic with Gary, without going into spoilers, really is the heart of the movie. Indeed Frost has always been a genuinely delightful and funny talent and here it is a sheer delight to see him not only play the one member of the group who just continues to get more and more exasperated with Gary, but also provide the film with some legitimately funny moments whilst also engaging in some action beats that are nothing short of incredible. As for the other three, there is no denying that whilst the equally as skilled Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit trilogy), and Eddie Marsan all provide the audience with nuanced and equally as riveting work as their characters Steven, Oliver, and Peter respectively it should also be said that they also do have a bad habit of just seemingly popping in and out of the movie at times. Not because of their work as performers by any means, but more so because of the intense focus the film places on the characters of Gary and Andy than anything. Lastly, I definitely think this section would be amiss if I didn’t devote some time to talk about the equally as engaging work done in this by Rosamund Pike as Oliver’s sister Sam. Yes it does take a quarter of the film before she appears in this and yet from the moment she first shows up on screen, we see that Pike not only holds her own amidst the quintet of bros at the heart of the film, but she also displays both a terrific sense of comedic timing in her own right as well as some phenomenal skill in the action beats as well (though given that she was in the first Jack Reacher with Tom Cruise the year before this film initially was released I am willing to bet that he at the very least gave her some fighting lessons). Suffice it to say that when you also throw into the mix delightful efforts from such talents as Michael Smiley, David Bradley (Argus Filch for you Harry Potter fans out there), and even a terrific cameo of sorts from Bond #5 himself among others I think it can be said that this is one collection of talent who, miniscule flaws aside, help to make this film as lively and entertaining as it ultimately turns out to be.
All in all and at the end of the day is The World’s End a perfect cinematic pint? Sadly as much as I would like to say that is the case (especially given the cast and crew involved) I also have to say that is sadly not the case here though not for lack of effort by any means. With that in mind, does that make this the most bitter alcohol-themed disappointment I have had to endure in my life since Miller Genuine Draft 64? Thankfully (to the relief of both my eyes AND my liver) that is fortunately not the case either. To be sure, this film does suffer from, among other things, a main character that (if you can’t synch up to his particular wavelength) can prove to be quite insufferable to want to follow around for 109 minutes, a tempo that is wildly uneven, a bit too much in terms of F/X at the end, and a runtime that does seem to be stretched at times ever so slightly among other issues. Even with these detriments in mind however, there is also no denying that this cinematic excursion does also have an extremely well-chosen cast of players who make the most of their respective characters, a soundtrack you’ll definitely be rocking out to, dependably sturdy work from Edgar Wright at the helm, and on-point work from the rest of the behind the camera team with particular regard to the production design, editing, and script departments to name a few examples respectively. Suffice it to say then that if you want to see this director operating at the peak of his abilities then check out Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz from 2004 and 2007 respectively. If you want a movie about a group of old friends reuniting and coming to grips with the passage of time and how much they have changed (or lack thereof as can be the case) then definitely watch The Big Chill. If you are looking for a movie about a group of people struggling to survive a subtle yet hostile takeover from extraterrestrial forces then definitely check out either the 1956 or 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers. If on the other hand you are looking for a unique and fairly delightful little cinematic outing that manages to combine all of those things into one film then definitely sit back, pour yourself a pint of your favorite beverage (be it of the alcoholic or non-alcoholic variety), and check this slice of cinema out. To be sure, you could do a lot better, but trust me when I say that, unlike some of the other outings that the year 2013 sought fit to give us (looking at you R.I.P.D.), this one won’t leave you with the cinematic equivalent of a hangover after watching it. Make of that what thou will dear reader and bottoms up! On a scale of 1-5 I give The World’s End “2013” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
