'The World's End' Movie Review: The Most Entertaining & Creative Film of the Summer

Throughout his career, director Edgar Wright has established himself as a pop culture auteur in the vein of Danny Boyle and Quentin Tarantino. His films are rife with pop culture nostalgia as well as tremendous amounts of energetic style and fun. His latest film "The World's End" not only concludes the famed Cornetto trilogy, but continues to establish Wright as one of the most unique voices in modern movies.

For the uninitiated, the Cornetto trilogy (based on the three colors of Cornetto ice cream) was initiated by the hilarious zombie film "Shaun of the Dead" and was followed up by the equally sensational "Hot Fuzz." Leading the charge in both films is the terrific duo of Simon Pegg and Nicholas Frost and they return for a third part that is arguably the most unpredictable of the three films.

As the movie opens, we are greeted by a voiceover from Gary King (Simon Pegg), an alcoholic who is recalling how he and his crew of high school buddies set out to conquer the Golden Mile in their small town of Newton Haven, which features 12 bars. The goal was to drink one pint in each of the locales and climax at the famed "The World's End." Unfortunately, the crew unravels and never manages to get to the end. Gary told his fellow Alcoholics Anonymous friends that that day was the high point of his life.

Shortly after revealing the story during an AA meeting, Gary decides to reunite the band and give the Golden Mile one last try. All of his friends agree with hesitation and the plan gets underway. However, the crew soon discovers that the town of their youth is no longer what it once was and has been overrun by aliens. From there, the group must find a way to survive while also finishing the Mile.

Fans of the first two films in the Cornetto trilogy will undoubtedly love this movie and its relentless pace and terrific action. Just as Tarantino is able to add tension to a conversation about a glass of milk ("Inglorious Basterds"), Wright is ever inventive in finding different angles and pace for serving up a pint of beer at different pubs. The opening montage of the film is spectacular in its ability to show the effects of inebriation on Gary's narrative.

The story starts off with the slow-motion shot of the "five musketeers" walking out of school (the "Reservoir Dogs" shot everyone seems to utilize these days to give off a aura of "coolness"). The editing is jumpy and rhythmic, but the storytelling remains compact. As the night wears on and the craziness crescendos, the cutting gets quicker, the colors become sporadic, and the viewers starts to lose sense of what's happening. At the sequence's climax, the editing becomes ferociously quick and only snippets of the moments can be seen; a true blackout drunk experience.

After Gary's narrative, Wright showcases another brilliant introduction of the five main characters during the title sequence. The camera dollies right and we view Gary changing in his room. The image continues to dolly right, leaves Gary's abode, and showcases the new environment of one of his friends. The shot continues its frame-right trajectory and returns to Gary and his preparations before introducing another main character. The shot continues to dolly right and repeat the cycle until all of the characters are introduced and Gary exits his room.

Pegg's Gary is the proverbial "man-child" that fails to see the consequences of his actions. Unlike the moronic man-children of Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler, this character is not only engaging and funny, but also honest at his core. The viewer gets the sense that the Golden Mile trip is an attempt to search for an identity that has eluded him and a freedom that he refuses to compromise.

Frost had the tendency to play the dumb sidekick to Pegg in the other films, but actually plays the more mature character Peter this time around. The story hints at a deep traumatic experience that has torn the two friends apart and carries the film's narrative tension more than the alien invasion does. Frost's development throughout the film is arguably the story's strongest asset as it showcases a man insensitive to his friend's needs that eventually does all he can to save him from his own self-annihilation.

The other major cast members, including Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, and Eddie Marson, add the right level of levity and seriousness to balance out the pack. Freeman's Oliver is the most rigid of the group and provides a tremendous amount of deadpan humor. Considine's Steven is more of a desperate fellow and adds emotional warmth, while Marson's Peter is the weakling that eventually redeems himself for the bullying he endured in his past. Other cast members from the Wright trilogy make memorable appearances, but the director has asked the press to withhold spoilers about characters and actors. 

As aforementioned, the movie zips along at a relentless pace that keeps the viewer in awe and anticipation of the next major twist or turn. Just when you think that you've seen it all and know what comes next, Wright and company throw the viewer for a loop and move in an unexpected direction. However, the final showdown proves to be a little bit of a letdown. The main premise of maturity and facing adulthood ultimately gets overshadowed by clichéd explorations of man vs. technology. The title does payoff in many ways (both expected and unexpected) and the ending will surely come as a surprise to many.

Ultimately, the shortcomings are little more than blemishes, though. The overall experience is pure fun. The performances are fresh, the pop culture references and jokes abound, and the storytelling is masterful. "The World's End" is easily the most entertaining film of the summer.