"The World's End" is a very uneven film that I really, really wanted to like since I'd enjoyed the previous two films in this unofficial trilogy--"Sean of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz". However, despite some wonderful twists, the film seemed like the script had some good ideas but needed to be cleaned up a bit more. After all, some of the characters behaved oddly--and I am talking about long before the film was supposed to get odd.
The film begins with Gary (Simon Pegg) talking to other addicts in rehab about his 'good old days' of his youth and how he and his mates had always wanted to complete a 12 pub crawl in their home town. However, they never finished--as the alcohol finished them. Now, twenty years later, Gary has decided what he needs to do is NOT get sober but reassemble the old gang and finally finish the pub crawl. This aspect of the film was by far the weakest, as Gary was a thoroughly despicable jerk and his friends were supposedly successful members of society who didn't want to do the pub crawl--yet, completely inexplicably, they do. Why they all re-teamed was never properly established and until about a third of the way into the film, the film dragged and had few laughs.
Now I will admit that a third of the way into the film, things got freaky and a bit fun. I cannot say more, as it would destroy the surprises for you. But, from here on, most of the film consisted of chases and LOTS of special effects. It lacked the humor of the previous two films and seemed more an exercise in excess than anything else. Overall, this is a mildly amusing film and nothing more--and it sure should have been. Much of this is due to Pegg playing such an unlikable guy. At least in the prior films, he was likable as were his motley assortment of friends.
The film begins with Gary (Simon Pegg) talking to other addicts in rehab about his 'good old days' of his youth and how he and his mates had always wanted to complete a 12 pub crawl in their home town. However, they never finished--as the alcohol finished them. Now, twenty years later, Gary has decided what he needs to do is NOT get sober but reassemble the old gang and finally finish the pub crawl. This aspect of the film was by far the weakest, as Gary was a thoroughly despicable jerk and his friends were supposedly successful members of society who didn't want to do the pub crawl--yet, completely inexplicably, they do. Why they all re-teamed was never properly established and until about a third of the way into the film, the film dragged and had few laughs.
Now I will admit that a third of the way into the film, things got freaky and a bit fun. I cannot say more, as it would destroy the surprises for you. But, from here on, most of the film consisted of chases and LOTS of special effects. It lacked the humor of the previous two films and seemed more an exercise in excess than anything else. Overall, this is a mildly amusing film and nothing more--and it sure should have been. Much of this is due to Pegg playing such an unlikable guy. At least in the prior films, he was likable as were his motley assortment of friends.