REVIEW: The World's End

PLOT: Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival.

REVIEW: The World's End was my most highly anticipated movie of the year, considering that this troupe's first hit film in Shaun of the Dead is my absolute favorite film to watch at any time. That film then spawned Hot Fuzz, which was a smart parody of sorts but this time of the action genre and not zombies. Then the fan base cried for more, and because of small connections between the first two, the group of films then became known as the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy because of the reappearance of Cornetto ice cream in the first two films. It became a trilogy as well due to the "three flavors" of genre chosen by Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost to be parodied but at the same time you could say that these films are intricate studies of the genres as well. I for one absolutely love Shaun of the Dead because of its commentary on the genre of zombie film as well as it being a really great zombie film all on its own. I've found that something special is always present in Edgar Wright's films and it isn't the comedy that is so rewarding, but it's that it is done with so much care that he doesn't take away from it being part of the genre it's making fun of.

The World's End is probably the weakest of Edgar Wright's three films in this "series", but that doesn't mean at all that it is subpar in any way. Wright has yet again found a way to perfectly blend the sense of humor of his character actors Simon and Nick, as well as analyzing a genre that he's gotten closer and closer to in his career over the last few years. With the possibility, and proable reality of his Ant-Man film being made in the next few years, it's nice to see that his exercise in the genre of science fiction went quite well because that's where he's going to be spending a good amount of time soon. Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World also was a great example of how his style of filmmaking not only analyzes and parodies the subject material, but becomes part of it simultaneously. The World's End takes all of the typical happenings of a science fiction coming to Earth story, and makes it his own via his band of merry pranksters that I couldn't see ever disbanding. I hope to all that is holy that these three continue to make films and that there could even be a possibility for another trilogy of the same type would be a great one.

Simon Pegg plays the rogue type, nothing is off limits personality this time around as he's edged closer and closer towards it in the previous two. In the first film he played a very down on his luck, almost shy guy with not a clue as to how the real world worked and Nicholas Angel in Hot Fuzz was a little closer to that bad ass personality but not quite to this degree. Pegg plays as the one and only Gary King, or The King if you'd like, and he's planning to assemble his group of friends back together from high school to attempt The Golden Mile. The Golden Mile is a pub crawl in their hometown of Newton Haven that involves drinking a pint at each and every pub in a certain order to complete the challenge. In high school they were unable to complete the mile as it became riddled with issues and distractions, which is explained at the beginning of the film and surely missed by the end of the film. I love Pegg's rough side on display here, and he really breathes a lot of life into the film because even though the rest of the actors playing the friends in the film are great, they don't bring quite as much energy as Gary.

Nick Frost stars sort of alongside Pegg again as Andy Knightley, his high school friend and practically brother, who is on the wiser end of the list when it comes to the group in its entirety. Throughout the film an event is referenced as a reason that Andy would never speak to Gary again, and it's one of the questions that lingers throughout the film and is perfectly revealed towards the end. The friendship on display in these films though between the two actors always appears so authentic, and I think that's what makes their relationships between their characters in these films so special. You can see the love between these two guys, and despite them playing characters in movies they always seem to be true to each other in a special way that brings chemistry to the characters in the film. I personally thought that this film was a stronger outing for Nick Frost, who has continually played the bumbling idiot in Wright's films, is now playing the wiser, smarter, and more mature character of the two, and actually all five here in The World's End. I was happy to see that despite Simon Pegg's obvious turn as the main character, Frost was able to star alongside and be the role model of the group when he typically isn't.

Also in the film is the star of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Martin Freeman, who is already a proven actor but is now a little more well known due to his portrayal of Bilbo Baggins. He also stars in BBC's Sherlock series as Watson, and does a fantastic job in that show, but here he plays the slick and suave O-Man. Along with Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan, they round out the other three of the group who are as much involved as the rest and each have their own quirks. Out of the three I particularly liked Peter Page, who is played by Eddie Marsan, and his strange relationship with certain characters in the film, including Gary King. He wasn't really the bravest or funniest of the three, but he was the easiest to laugh at and he has quite possibly the best comedic moment in the film towards the end. The group of them played out really well together and I was worried about adding the other three after the first two films in the unofficial trilogy mainly starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost with each other and using the others as side characters. This time around they are part of a bigger group, but it all works for the better and provides for some interesting story when it gets down to the nitty gritty.

I really liked this film a lot, and even though it doesn't even come close to Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz for me, I would still rank it amongst some of my favorite comedies. Edgar Wright's stylized direction for the sci-fi/comedy romp comes in handy as The Network (name for the aliens) surges to life in a pub's men's restroom and steadily becomes the threat that our group of silly heroes face. I still can't see Edgar Wright doing any wrong when it comes to film, and I'm extremely excited to see him now get to work on Marvel's Ant-Man and let's hope that the news of Nick Frost being Hank Pym is true (not really, but it was a funny joke). I can't recommend this loose trilogy to people enough, as the first two films are among probably my top five favorite comedies of all-time and this one, while it may not rank amongst some of the greatest, it is extremely enjoyable. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz even rank pretty highly in their respective genres, because they are that great. The mindless robotic violence that is present throughout the film is highly entertaining, and I love the way the "gore" is presented in blue. It's all very fun, and not once through the film does it drag and feel like you need it to hurry to the next part. Each bit is slowly revealed after the previous one, and more and more is found out about The Network as it progresses to its apocalyptic end. The fight scenes were probably some of the funniest as the combat against these alien foes was completely outrageous, and Nick gets to have a good old Hulk Smash moment, or two, or three. All in good fun seems to be Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost's mantra as a group, because the conclusion to the Three Flavours Cornetto is as entertaining as ever and leaves you again wanting more from this well-directed dynamic duo.

ACTING : ( 9 / 10 )

STORY : ( 8 / 10 )

EXECUTION : ( 10 / 10 )

POSTER : ( 6 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 9 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 9 / 10 )

TOP TEN TUESDAY: 2 Guns Are Better Than One

For the first weekend of August there aren't too many big contenders hitting the theaters. We see the release of two 2's, one being the sequel to The Smurfs which is cleverly titled The Smurfs 2. It's not looking too good for that film other than it could be the big family draw for the weekend, but I for one didn't even think the first film was all that great. It wasn't even mildly funny in the way some childish movies can be, it was pretty lackluster and dull. The other is 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg in what seems to be an action buddy comedy, and it's got a big R-rating which could bring great things. The pairing of these two actors could result in not only great comedy, but some awesome action and I'm really looking forward to it. Thinking about 2 Guns got me thinking about buddy action movies though, and it's a really fun genre of film to watch. I thought I'd think back at some of my favorite buddy movies, trying to focus on the action genre and count them down here for you because it's Top Ten Tuesday! There's plenty of these though and I'm positive that I'll miss a few completely and there's got to be some I haven't seen but I'll do my best to include everything I have seen. Surely though, someone will remind me of one I've seen that I just forgot. It's surprisingly hard to bring up a good list or a guide to buddy action movies, but maybe 2 Guns this weekend will change that. Obviously it's up to the person watching a movie to dictate whether or not something falls into the same category of a 2 Guns type movie, but without having seen it I don't know how far into comedy it plans to go. This is a mix of several different action movies with a duo or buddy comedies that are action-oriented. I did my best to keep the movies in the same realm, but some may disagree.

10. 21 Jump Street (2012)

Out of any of these movies listed, this is the only one that I was extremely doubtful about when seeing the trailers. I thought for sure that this would be one of those cases where everything good about it was in the trailer. "Y'all some Miley Cyrus, Justin Beaver lookin' mothafuckas", take Ice Cube's line at the end of the trailer for example. It was hilarious, but would that be the best the film had to offer. It definitely wasn't, as 21 Jump Street was one of the most entertaining action buddy comedies to come out in the new decade. Often times these types of films fail due to lack of chemistry or just a bad story, but this film had both in good amounts. Of course Jonah Hill is your funny man, and Channing Tatum is supposed to be your tough guy. It's actually kind of funny how the roles are reversed to what you'd imagine they would be, because Tatum is arguably the best part about the movie. It's based off the original television show of the same name starring Johnny Depp, and it's funny to notice that some of the better buddy movies are derived from old television shows where it's a successful template still today. I'd recommend this film to anyone, and it was a straight up blast of a good time. There's plenty of action to give it the action title, even though it's mostly a buddy comedy. Who would have thought that the fat kid from Accepted and the handsome man from Step Up would make such a great crime fighting team?

9. Starsky & Hutch (2004)

I am a big fan of this movie where a good majority of people are not. It came out during a time when I was just starting to get into film and I was allowed to watch a good amount of whatever I wanted. I thought this movie was so hilarious, but on top of that it was a good action comedy. This is yet another movie that's based an older television show, but updated for a modern audience. Ben Still and Owen Wilson have obviously proven they're a good duo, but this adaptation really brings out the silliness in an action setting. Another reason I like this movie is Snoop Lion as Huggy Bear because he has the ultimate laugh towards the end of the film and he truly is funny. This is definitely one of my favorite buddy cop comedies and though I haven't seen it in awhile or own it, I'd really like to revisit this one. Don't forget the Will Ferrell cameos, some of his best for sure.

8. Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

Everyone has their favorite Die Hard, and this one is mine. There is no better smart mouthed duo than putting Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson together. From the beginning they are trying to top one another and it provides for a really entertaining film. The funny thing is that it's a pretty hardcore action flick much like the first 2, but they were also funny. But adding Samuel L. to the mix really brings the entertainment factor up a notch, along with the scale and size of the threat they are facing. Being led all throughout the city to finish task after task to save the city and their own lives, it's not only suspenseful and action-packed but about as fun as an action movie gets.

7. The Other Guys (2010)

One of the more recent additions to the buddy cop comedy genre, this stars Will Ferrell and the man co-starring behind Denzel in 2 Guns, Mark Wahlberg. Marky Mark has proven his comedic talents before, but he really takes it to the next level in The Other Guys. Being able to match Will Ferrell in comedic intensity is not an easy feat, but Wahlberg makes it seem easy. The two are a perfect yin and yang, Ferrell being the dumber of the two cops and Wahlberg dying to make his name on the force. From car chases to desk popping, this is definitely a fun ride. Also starring as another bad ass duo in the movie is Samuel L. Jackson (of course) and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the pair that Ferrell and Wahlberg aspire to me. Someone dial 9 1 holy shit!

6. Lethal Weapon (1987)

Before Mel Gibson went completely crazy, or maybe that's just publicly crazy, he started a little franchise called Lethal Weapon and of course did so with his buddy Danny Glover. Mel plays a halfway psychotic cop that can do seemingly anything, and Danny is a guy that's just too old for this shit. It's funny how even some of these buddy films that are action primarily, just so happy to be funny as well. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover both can be pretty funny, but this is definitely one of the movies I'd point to for either one of them that proves it. There are three sequels to the film and they're all just about as entertaining as the first, just not as good of a story. This is one of the classics when it comes to buddy cop movies, and just action movies in general.

5. Training Day (2001)

I had a little trouble with putting this on the list, but I really feel like it deserves a spot. Mark Wahlberg got a movie on the list, so I feel that in all fairness so should Denzel and there's no better movie than this one. This is easily also one of the best action dramas ever made in my opinion, and Denzel is the main reason for that. Ethan Hawke is the new guy and is trying to pick up a thing or two from Denzel, but eventually finds out the truth. It's not a buddy movie exactly by the end of the film, which is why I question putting it on here, but it definitely involves a pair of cops that are good together in a way. It's just such a great movie, and it's about the only one that's going to be on here that's not really a comedy at all. This movie is hard hitting and gritty, and isn't meant to be funny at all. It's probably not meant to be on my action buddy movie list, but hey Denzel is just that good.

4. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

The one film on the list that maybe not all of you have seen, was not a big hit in the theaters or anything. It's not a big budger action film, but it totally fits this category in my opinion. The pair in the film are Robert Downey Jr. (before Tony Stark) and Val Kilmer (after his relevance), and they couldn't be any better together. RDJ is a thief posing as a writer trying to get into his next scheme when he runs into Val and shit just hits the fan. This is definitely a darker comedy, but it's still extremely hilarious. It also has action in spurts, nothing like a big budget action film, but it's got it's fair share. It's more of a drama/comedy than anything, but this is definitely one I try to recommend to people looking for something new that they've never seen. Especially with the craze now behind Robert Downey Jr. and his revived acting career, this is definitely one you need to see.

3. The Rundown (2003)

I don't know how much I'll have to explain myself on this one. It's almost not even worth mentioning one of the two, because the one, The Rock, makes this movie all on his own. But you also have Seann William Scott, who is the thorn in Rock's side for the entire movie. The Rock is sent after Scott to find him and when he does it's nothing but problem after problem. This movie is worth watching for the comedy alone, but you better believe that The Rock provides some action for you. A man who is sworn off of guns because of the damage he can do, eventually is faced with the decision to use weapons one more time to save the day. The final gunfight in this movie is one of the best, but it's definitely not the only bad ass scene for The Rock, and Seann William Scott sure gives The Rock enough trouble to give him so credit as a perfect mouse in the game of cat and mouse played here. It's not what some would consider a buddy movie either because they don't like each other most of the film, but they do end up resolving their issues by the end of the film. And well, The Rock is awesome, and if you don't like The Rock you can get the hell out.

2. Bad Boys (1995)

Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you. Most people have seen this one, and I'm one of the few that thinks the sequel Bad Boys 2 is actually better than the first, but both of these films are great. I really hope that they eventually decide to do a third, because Will Smith could certainly use the blockbuster hit to bring his career back from the slump he's in. Also starring is Martin Lawrence which begs no question as to how the movie could be funny. Put the two together though and you have an absolute riot, because either of these two could lead a movie on their own. Will Smith is an action star whether he wants to be or not, and he can certainly play the role well while getting his laughs. Martin Lawrence is buyable as a cop just because he's partners with Smith, but he definitely brings the funny in great capacity and has always done it with his own comedy films. Just watch either one of these films, because the best action buddy duo of all-time would definitely recommend that you do.

1. Hot Fuzz (2007)

Go figure that this is my favorite action buddy movie of all-time, and it's definitely the funniest too. From the trio that brought you Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost bring you an entirely different tale of a pair of cops that are trying to prove themselves in a comedically absurd world. After the previous film, director Edgar Wright still plays on the concept of a horror film in this one and really kind of provides a darker element to Hot Fuzz. This is the longest and sweetest love letter to the genre of action though because on top of the laughs and villains, there is plenty of action to go around and the final gunfight of the film is one of the best, even compared to a straight up action movie standard. I love that this trio is able to turn seemingly ordinary stories into something extraordinarily humorous. In training Pegg's tough cop character, Frost's silly cop shows him all of the classic buddy cop movies to strengthen their relationship. One of which I do not have on the list which is Point Break with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, but don't you dare say you haven't seen Bad Boys 2 because that is a tragic statement to these two.