Culture

Rating: 4/5

I feel there should be a disclaimer up front: when I left the movie last night I fully expected to give it a rather mediocre score. However, having slept on it, maybe I judged too soon.

The World’s End is the third instalment in the “not a trilogy” Cornetto trilogy that includes 2004’s Shaun of the Dead and 2007’s Hot Fuzz. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost team up once again as Gary and Andrew, who, along with Peter, Oliver and Stephen, are high school mates who have since drifted apart. At Gary’s wish they return to the town where they grew up to finally complete the infamous Golden Mile pub-crawl they attempted at the end of high school. Cue the odd people in the town who don’t recognise the protagonists, and all the usual sci-fi shenanigans from earlier films.

The movie is hilarious until about two-thirds of the way in, and then starts to get a bit mushy. At the time this annoyed me: I emerged from the movie feeling that the outstanding comedic writing was hacked at by the forced attempt to portray a message. Looking back on it, however, this does not detract from what was an excellent British comedy.

Pierce Brosnan is outstanding as the protagonists’ former teacher, Mr Shepherd, and Rosamund Pike brings her sultry Bond Girl demeanour from Die Another Day and Johnny English to provide the romantic interest. Yet both are outshone by Martin Freeman’s star performance as stuck-up estate agent, Oliver. Freeman, who is great in everything he does, provides the refined British male that balances out Pegg’s useless yobbo quite perfectly.

Overall, the great dialogue combined with a mostly brilliant storyline means The World’s End stands as a fitting companion to Frost and Pegg’s other endeavours. If you liked their previous efforts you’ll be satisfied, and if you like British comedy you’ll be laughing the whole way through. If the end of the world is to come, I’d wager most of us would like see it off at The World’s End.