After Shaun I went on to see Hot Fuzz, which came out in 2006-07. Another comedy on buddy action flicks. It was an excellent film, and in many ways a continuation. It had a brilliant story and a pitch perfect cast.
Now, the duo of Edgar, Simon and Nick have returned to bring us The World's End.
For a time I thought the movie Paul, starring Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, was meant to be the next film in the series. It was not great compared to the first two films they did together. The comedy and crude factor didn't blend well.
Paul may very well have been the third film if Edgar had directed it. He went on to do the fantastic Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. It made me realize that while Simon and Nick work well together it takes a genius comedic director to mix all the ingredients right.
World's End is, for now, the concluding chapter of a trilogy of sorts, which started with Shaun of the Dead and onto Hot fuzz. The films were never meant to be a trilogy but became one after the realize of Hot Fuzz and the many connections it had to the teams last film, Shaun of the dead. Actors came back in different roles, Nick and Shaun were buddies again and a certain ice cream treat made a reappearance. Which donned the series nickname, The Cornetto Trilogy (hopefully series).
The World's End is thus, a drinking buddy comedy which takes a turn into science fiction territory and turns into an epic finale with robots, explosions and what will be known as the end of the world.
Its quiet the film with a lot of different themes and tones (comedy, action, science fiction, a little horror, apocalyptic scenarios) But Edgar Wright, the director, gets it right. He nails it with every scene. The comedy flows through out the film and never stops. The third act's confrontation between our heroes and the tutorial robotic invaders culminates in one of the funniest movie scenarios ever brought to screen. Edgar got all the ingredients right, blending themes of technological conversion, battered friendships about growing up, isolation, alcoholism, and government control.
The best thing about this third outing is the amazing cast that is assembled here. We do still have Nick Frost and Simon Pegg as our leads but we also get two other returnees from the previous films. Martin Freeman, who up until this point was very least well known. Now he's starred in the hobbit franchise and as Dr. Watson on Sherlock. He gives a great performance here as one who has submerged himself with technology (ear phone, laser surgery). He's brilliant and works well with the rest of the cast. The other returnee is Paddy Considine. He had a role as a police officer in Hot Fuzz and gets to play it up here as the good guy in love with his friend's sister. He's great here as well and really puts some great heart into the film. I love Paddy. I've seen him in Now is good, where he plays father to a dying girl (Dakota Fanning). And, he also had a small role in the Bourne franchise as a reporter who knew things he should't know.
David Bradley (Harry Potter) makes a welcome return here. He plays one of the last remaining humans in Newtan Havan. He's humorous as always and plays his character with great strength. A surprise for me was the appearance of Eddie Marsan. Eddie played Inspector Lestrade in the Sherlock Holmes movies and I never thought of him as a funny guy. Yet in this film he brings the laughs. There are some serious moments with his character, a past history of bullying but he was a surprise in the film. Eddie was the final touch to an already brilliant cast.
But, what would have to be an ingenious move on Edgar's part, he has a reunion of sorts on this film. In Hot Fuzz a certain actor was unable/or unwilling to play the part of the villain. The role was taken on by Bond alumni Timothy Dalton (The Living Daylights, License to Kill). This time though the mystery actor took on a mystery role. When he (Pierce Brosnan) first appears in the movie in the film's prologue as the main character's school teacher, we think that is it, his cameo role on an Edgar Wright film. But no, he comes back later on in one of the best reunions to die for. Rosamund Pike stars in this and had starred with Pierce in his last Bond movie (Die Another Day). In that they played villain and hero, here its the opposite. They don't talk to each other in this but to see them eye to eye, seated at a round table with the other actors, it was a very cool scene, one I (as a bond fan) loved.
What I enjoyed about these movies is the smart way they handled the musical score. Shaun of the dead made many references to musical horror cues from Dawn of the dead. Scores done by artists like Goblins and Fabio Frizzi. Shaun of the Dead having been inspired by the Romero films and horror films in general, a referential musical score was a nice touch. With Hot Fuzz they did one better, hiring Bond alumni composer David Arnold to do the score personally. He was terrific as always brining the action of Bond with him. For World's End, Steven Price was brought on. I know what you are thinking, Steven Price, who's he. Well, if you have not seen Attack the Block, then I feel sorry for you. It's an alien invasion film which stars one of the leads, Nick Frost. Steven Price provided the score for the film. Him scoring World's End adds to the depth the director and crew were going for. With each film the tone and score represented in some way the feeling of the genre it was parodying.
A great cast, Edgar in top form and a blessed score of old 80s music and moving themes The World's End is the first comedy thats not only one of the best buddy comedies but by far the best science fiction film to come along this year. I mean that, I have seen this movie twice now and I love it even more. Critics may criticize it for its sudden tonal shifts from buddy comedy to alien invasion/end of the world. I loved every minute of it.
A solid gold 5 out of 5.
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