THE WORLD’S END

UK, 2013, 109 minutes, Colour.
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, Pierce Brosnan, David Bradley.
Directed by Edgar Wright.

The World’s End was co-written by star, Simon Pegg, and director, Edgar Wright. They had previously collaborated to great critical and popular success with the parodies, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. This is the final film in their so-called Cornetto trilogy. Many have thought this is their best. Others have favoured the previous two films. It probably depends on your interest in the genre that the film is using and the use of conventions for humour, parody, with some serious insights.

Shaun of the Dead was original with its focus on the living dead. Hot Fuzz was very funny because of its presentation of life in a country village as well as the zombie takeover. The World’s End starts off in a realistic vain and only later in the film as the parody enters with the presentation of a variation of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

The film opens with five leads in 1990, finishing at school, wanting to achieve an ambition: travelling the golden mile of their town and drinking at each of its twelve pubs. In fact, some drop out and they don’t achieve their goal. Their leader, telling the story, is Gary King, played by Simon Pegg with quite a manic look on his face, weird grin, looking disturbingly like actor, Michael Sheen. And then we discover him in an institution, in a group recounting his story. When he is challenged by an inmate, he decides to relive his past and go to collect all his friends again, assuming that this was what they would want to do.

As he goes to meet each of the friends, we realise (but he doesn’t), that 20 years have passed, that they have responded to being adults, with marriages and relationships, having responsible jobs. The four friends are played by a generation of prominent British actors and comedians: Eddie Marsan as a car dealer working with his father, and married; Paddy Considine with a job but divorced; Martin Freeman as a real estate agent, rather proper; and Nick Frost (Pegg’s partner in the previous films as well as the science fiction American story, Paul), as a teetotaller, injured in a car accident from which Gary walked away in the past, now married and working in a legal firm.

Despite the memories and Gary’s hype, Gary persuades them to join him. They somewhat reluctantly assemble and go on the pub crawl. This all seems normal and audiences may be wondering when something different is going to emerge. It does. Most of the inhabitants of the town have been taken over by an alien power The Network (voiced by Bill Nighy), which sees itself as improving the way human beings live and interact - except when they get their way and begin to fight and brawl, lots of brawls in this film.

The aliens look normal, but can be decapitated and still fight, and ooze the equivalent of blue blood. So, the group is pursued until the last pub, some taken over, some still fighting. Into the mix comes Rosamund Pike as a girlfriend from the past. And there is Pierce Brosnan as their schoolteacher, presiding with great dignity as an alien in the pub.

Those on the wavelength will find the film highly entertaining. Those who preferred the other films, will enjoy the film in its way, but long for an even more outrageous parody of some horror films.

1. The third in Edgar Wright trilogy? The comic touch, parody, use of the genres? Realism and surrealism? Aliens on earth? An invasion of the body snatchers?

2. The work of Edgar Wright, his perspectives on humour, and England? The comic writing of Simon Pegg?

3. The cast, a generation of the top English actors? Plus Pierce Brosnan? Plus Rosamund Pike?

4. The comment on young Englishman, the drinking culture, its consequences? The comment on growing up, becoming adults, taking on responsibilities?

5. The 1990s, the introduction to the young men, their names and backgrounds, Gary and his leadership, the king? At school, ambition and lack of ambition? Mr. Shepard and his interest in the students? Preparing for his reappearance?

6. The quest for the golden mile, the boys gathering, the narrative about their going to drink a pint at each of the twelve pubs, Oliver and his getting out, their experiences in the pub, Basil, the pub keepers, the drinking, their behaviour? Not finishing the quest?

7. The transition to the institution, Gary and his narrative, the awareness group, the challenge to him? His decision to relive the past?

8. His going to visit his old mates, their reactions, 20 years older, adults with responsibilities, the bad memories of the past, Andrew and his accident and Gary’s leaving the scene?

9. The friends: Peter, marriage, dealership, with his father, tempted to go? Stephen, his work, separation from his wife, wary about going? Oliver, his nickname ‘Omen’ because of his mark? His being a salesman, the couple looking at the property, Gary and his intervention, swearing, alienating the couple? Oliver and his name, his concern about his sister? The visit to Andrew, in the legal firm, Andrew not listening to him, the bad memories of the past?

10. Gary, always cheerful, thinking that the Golden Mile and the pubs would be his life achievement? his paying back the money to Andrew, after borrowing it from the others? His memories of Sam, the sexual encounter? Wanting to relive his past?

11. The group assembling, on the railway station, Gary late? The hesitation about the project, varying degrees of participation?

12. Going to the pubs, the drinking, the men at the bar not recognising Gary? His enjoyment? Andrew and his not drinking, wanting water? The others drinking their pints? The effect?

13. Sam, her arrival, wanting to see the friends, the twins? Stephen and his infatuation with her but his not having the courage to express it? Gary misunderstanding her, going to the toilet, her strong words to him, urging him to grow up?

14. The further drinking, the other pubs, seeing Basil and his sense of earnestness? The ups and downs?

15. Gary and the toilet, the young men, the challenge, the fight, the blue blood, the head separating, the continuing to fight? Indication that there was something wrong?

16. The further pubs, Gerry insisting, finding every opportunity to drink, even the left-overs glasses?

17. The men at the bar, the drug dealer, his warnings, his being summoned by the authorities’? The discovery of the body snatching, the discussion about the appropriate word to describe them? Blanks?

18. The many fights, the brawls? The Blanks and their having the advantage of being able to fight after being destroyed? Twins and the marmalade sandwich? Their being taken over?

19. Mr. Shepard, at the pub, friendly, the explanations, the invitation for them to join? Destroying him? His reappearing? The Blanks and the light emanating from their mouths?

20. Taking over of Oliver? His making a plea? Peter and his experience of the bully, not recognising him, the pain of the past? The bully and attacking him again, Peter being taken over?

21. Stephen, his love for Sam, his driving away, then his return, to rescue? Sam, getting lost, her return, discussions with Gary, helping them escape, wariness at the roundabout and crashing through, the pursuit out of the town?

22. Andrew, the change, his drinking, yet his serious sense? Involved in the fights? The escape?

23. The role of the network, Bill Nighy as the voice of the network? The explanation of The Network, the betterment of the human race? Gary and his response, just wanting to be human? Andy discovering that Gary was in the institution?

24. Order restored, Oliver and his being like the invisible man but doing his work? The same couple looking at property? Peter and his being restored, his home life? Stephen and Sam together? Andy resuming his life?

25. Gerry, his cloak and mask, leading the group of musketeers, and his liking the image of the musketeers for his friends, attacking the Blanks and saving the world?