The World's End

Shaun of the Dead is one of my all time favorite movies. It's hilariously funny, brilliantly shot, superbly acted, even a bit emotional when it needed to be. It was what I loved about this absurd trilogy of movies, lovingly called "The Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy. It showed how a perfectly good comedy could also show some strong emotional ties, maybe even make you feel more than the initial trailers suggested you would.

That all being said and loved, I have to say, I might have a new favorite in the trilogy. The World's End proves itself to be as well crafted and hilarious as any of the trilogy, while also keeping a great balance of character development to keep you interested, but not frustrated at the lack of laughs. It's brilliant. Enough said.

For those uninitiated, the "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy refers to Hott Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and now The World's End. Although there is no story or character that unites these films, there are three distinct traits that unify them all. First, the cast and crew has always included Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy, Julia Deakin, Martin Freeman, and Rafe Spall, as well as being directed by Edgar Wright. The second trait is at least one scene of hilarious fence jumping. But the third, and most important trait of the three, is the Cornetto, a packaged ice cream cone similar to the Drumstick we're all familiar with. In each film, there is a different flavor used. In Shaun of the Dead, there is a strawberry cone, the red color representing the blood of the zombies. In Hot Fuzz, a blue cone is used (I'm not sure of the flavor of that), representing the colors of the police. In this film, I don't want to say too much about it, because it's brilliantly placed and perfectly colored. But it's fantastic. Truly.

And that's what makes this movie so brilliant. Every little detail is perfectly hilarious, but not overbearing. Even the names of some of the bars have significance to what goes on inside. When a robot (for lack of a better term, what the hell else are they supposed to be?!) is torn apart, we actually see a bit of how it's structured to work, but not so much that it's in the way or too silly. It just works. Hilariously.

As always, the one liners in each brilliantly structured dialogue leave you laughing harder and harder until a final zinger, which had my sides splitting. British humor is hit or miss for a lot of Amerians, but I'm going to have a hard time thinking of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this movie. Even if for some reason you're not really into the humor of the film (if you don't laugh then you're a robot), there's still plenty to appreciate. How about the AWESOME performance from Pegg, a man who literally has nothing to live for, has even lost all respect for himself, and is so desperate for self validation that his only hope for his pride is a freaking bar crawl. Nick Frost, who struggles to see validation for his own life even with his success, is another fascinating story. The interactions of these characters meeting back for the first time in years is hilariously spot on with some of my experiences. Although after this film, we are absolutely planning some epic bar crawl in the coming weeks...

This is absolutely a must see comedy. It's funny, smart, intriguing, and just all around great. I wouldn't change a thing.

Rank - 5/5