The World's End

Part three of the infamous 'Cornetto Trilogy' the final act following the tough to follow, timeless Shaun of the Dead and the delightfully demented Hot Fuzz, it was never going to be an easy ride. Oh man, why was I so excited, why did I feel so disappointed. I'll level with you, it wasn't as good the previous entries to the 'Trilogy' of 'Blood and Ice Cream'. It would probably be enough to leave my blog right there, but I'll go into detail, largely because babbling on here is the most fun I can have sometimes.

Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz were flat out genius, how the hell do you compare to that exactly?
You quite simply can't it would seem because World's End just doesn't, but it's still a decent film, a slice of fried gold so to speak, but still when you're slapping it on the end of two excellent pieces of cinemas you're going to be sorely disappointed. The creators themselves invite the comparisons and therefore it's incredibly difficult not to see them and acknowledge them.

It's a funny film but it has the issue of telling most of it's funny jokes in the trailers and giving away the biggest conceit in the film. Shaun of the Dead - Zombies, Hot Fuzz - police/mad conspiracy, The World's End - Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Except... I'm not 100% on any motive. Zombies don't ask for motive, Hot Fuzz is one of the best written films without a doubt in years, and it also has the added bonus of Timothy Dalton overseeing proceedings.

Speaking of actors, there are so many damn cameos in this film! Mark Heap is barely in it, but there he is! Plus Rafe Spall has the tiniest of head nods and there are obviously the main players as Martin Freeman is bumped up to lead role position, as is Paddy Considine, so there's a few helpful nods from the past, not least a flash of a Cornetto wrapper. Except there are a few differences this time round, most of the characters are thinly drawn individuals, but the best character by and large is Simon Pegg's Gary King, the rest are just along for the ride, which is basically the main plot of the film. In fact, there is very little else going on in this film apart from one deluded man and his quest to reshape the past.

You can't just build a film around Gary King, although I'm sure Gary King would bloody love that idea. A good chunk of all of the film's jokes come solely from him, which is fine, he's funny, not laugh out loud funny but he more than gives us enough to work with by being an arsehole and holy hell is Simon Pegg absolutely killing it in that role. But the rest of the characters get short shrift, poor Martin Freeman, I almost feel bad for him... Then there is Nick Frost, who in this instance is forced to play the straight man to Pegg's maniac, usually it's the other way around but this time Frost is devoid of anything interesting to do aside from use some bar stools creatively in a brawl - sure the bromance and their lover's quarrel is somewhat expected but it doesn't feel particularly earned. Luckily the ineffable Paddy Considine fares better as the epitome of 'the good looking one' - which is fine, he's damn good looking, and talented. In fact I'm glad he was taken along for most of the ride just so I could observe his beyond gorgeous face and a flash of bum ('very nice'), he also gets some of the better ensemble jokes, specifically one about a misspelled Gary King. Eddie Marsan is the quiet meek rich kid that grew up to be the meek silly quiet guy. Then we also have a female just because, well there has to be a female surely? Rosamund Pike fills the role and does... Well not a whole damn lot apart from be something for the boys to argue over, I don't think this film would pass the Bechdel Test, but it's a blokey film and I was more than prepared for that. Plus, I spent most of my time objectifying Paddy Considine... I am blatantly turning into a dirty old woman. I apologise.

There could be something interesting going on here but it's all a bit muddled. The film feels like pointing out that the robots aren't robots, there are just replacements, for the most polite invasion ever, except they chase people around attack them and try to force them to convert, well it lost me... It's also heavily emphasised that Gary King is a messed up man with delusions far beyond anyone's comprehension, he can't be trusted and he is above all else a raging alcoholic, and YET the characters follow him around, acknowledging that it's beyond ridiculous but it keeps the plot on the rail-road tracks. The film tries to hammer home the malaise of returning to a place called home and discovering it doesn't hold that same feeling, nor will it ever again. It has a crack at the troubles with growing up but then it also throws in, we're all fuck-ups and even into middle age should be allowed to have a good time and mess around, but then the end kind of just messes around with that and makes it seem less of a good idea. To be perfectly honest it's just a bloody mess! Which is a shame after the incredibly tightly scripted Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. There is a lot of plates whirring but nothing really to care about and the end, oh god the end... It's just a mish-mash and it doesn't seem to care that it's not making any sense, in fact it acknowledges that, but it's more bothered about sinking another pint at the next pub.

In speaking to many people about this film it's apparent out of the Cornetto Trilogy, or the 'Blood and Ice Cream' films, everyone has their particular favourite, and some say The World's End surpasses it's predecessors, well I wouldn't say that, but some people think so. But my argument stands that the point of the previous films were loving homages to specific genres skewering them with a particularly British brand of humour, but The World's End doesn't really do that, not to my knowledge anyway, the core idea is flimsier, the story isn't as good and the references are if anything lost on me which is a shame.

But my main feeling from watching this film was that a lot of the jokes were based around nostalgia, the whole film in fact in steeped in nostalgia and there is a joy of picking out little notes from the previous films and seeing familiar faces, and similar jokes (as ever Simon Pegg has to jump over a fence), but it just wasn't the same, it didn't feel as good or as amazing as before. If anything that makes the film a work of sheer genius, making a film about returning to your home town where things are the same but just don't feel quite right and things just end up being disappointing - people go to see The World's End expecting it to be as good and amazing as the previous films, and it feels like them, but there's something missing, it doesn't quite click, things feel different in a bad way... If that is exactly what Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright were aiming to do, then 'Bravo' is all I can say. The whole film is a metaphor! I've blown this whole thing wide open, I figured it out! Still doesn't mean this film is the best they've ever made, but perfection isn't easy, and this is a good example, they've delivered up to this point and just stumbled at the finishing line.

I'm being so harsh because I know what these guys are capable of, and this just isn't their best. Damn, it's good, it's funny, but it's not as good as it could have been, although I wouldn't know what else to do with it or where to go... So hey, if you want a laugh it's still the funniest comedy I've seen this year so that's something, frankly I'll be watching Hot Fuzz/Shaun of the Dead on ITV2, ta very much.