The World’s End Review

I had a rather interesting reason for wanting to see this film: it was filmed in Letchworth, my hometown (and which it might interest you to know was rather ironically – for a film all about drinking – originally a dry town). I also grew up on Spaced, which I still love and adore, and have followed these guys ever since. I have to admit outright though that I wasn’t really expecting much from the third instalment in “The Blood and Ice Cream” trilogy, but what I saw was in equal parts both pleasing and disappointing.

The film could be described as The Hangover meets Grange Hill meets Dr Who. It has a plot which is so simple it was probably written in a pub, on the back of a beer matt, after the writers had had a few too many pints. But the real stumbling block, and an oddity for a film directed by Wright and staring Pegg and Frost – who have created such strong characters in the past – was the lack of any standout characters: imagine The Hangover without Alan and you’ll get the idea. It instead relies on cliches: a man who doesn’t want to grow up, an up-tight businessman, a wimp, a guy who’s never confessed his true love and well, Martin Freeman.

So what you get is a slightly odd cocktail which never quite comes together, but is reasonably enjoyable nonetheless. It’s a shame that such as strong cast never manages to truly gel or for one member to really stand out. The film also doesn’t exhibit much of the style which made those involved successful in the first place.

Would I recommend going to see it then? Unfortunately not: if you’re after a slice of quality British comedy with a side-serving of homage or parody, or whatever these guys are branding it, then I would rent Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz instead, because they were quite simply a lot more coherent.