Lead Actors: Nick Frost, Simon Pegg
Producer
Plot Synopsis:
One ner-do-well forty something, Gary King, is at the end of his rope in life and in a stint of rehab when he recounts the best night of his life - the night he and his four mates attempted a 12 bar pub crawl and managed to reach nine of them before having to abandon their mission.
On that night, he scored with a girl in the disabled bathroom, got in a fight, and celebrated the last day of school with his mates. The problem with that night is that Gary King the adult never grew past that night, while his friends have all moved on . . .or have they?
Channelling his high school charisma despite a serious lack of funds, King decides to unite his old crew, in hopes of finally finishing the pub crawl they set out to do so many years ago. This reuniting is also a way for him to finally make amends with his BEST friend, Andy Knightley, who for reasons that aren't fully explained (at first) has never forgiven Simon.
With the magical powers that most slackers seem to have when they decide to put their mind towards something, King pulls off the impossible and gets three grown men to ditch all adult responsibilities for an entire weekend to revisit their home town and finish unsettled business with the town's 12 main central pubs.
All the pubs have classic names which will make you want to visit England right away, but the final one is called "The World's End".
Who Would Like it and Why
Fans of Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, or even Scott Pilgrim for that matter. This is a crowning in a trilogy of Americanized Britsh movies directed by Edgar Wright and starring Pegg and Frost in some capacity. There are also some exciting cameos including Pierce Brosnan and everyone's favorite squid captain Bill Nighy.
Who Might not Like it and Why
I found myself feeling very sad and depressed for Pegg's character King. Even as the stakes change in this movie and his past transgressions seem less of a big deal given (Spoiler Alert)the current end of world circumstances for the characters, I supposed King's nostalgia for his glory days strikes a chord in all of us. He even keeps his best trench coat and even makes a pass at the same girl he scored with in the disabled bathrooms so many years ago.
Anyone who has experienced a certain amount of charisma when they didn't have house payments, car payments and kids to worry about and then went on to becoming an adult knows the transition isn't easy. But, one look at Gary King tells us that growth is essential to survive as a human being.
Highlights/Top Scenes
Some fight scenes against some of the towns locals are good but the real gem here is the give and take of British humor with the four high school buddies. The camera captures their quips and comebacks and crowning on top of each other's lingo and informs the viewer of how autobiographical this picture really is not only for Wright but for Pegg and Frost who were college roommates.
Good British faces
Simon Pegg doing a great turn of acting
Delightful ensemble including Nick Frost and the guy who played The Guy Who Played The Hobbit, otherwise known as Martin Freeman who was also in the British Office.
This is sort of a 12-step movie that includes a lot of drinking
This abominable, pseudo-Sci-fi meltdown makes me want to hasten the coming of the Apocalypse by any means necessary.
ReplyDeleteIt is unimaginable how something so horrid and vapid was ever green lighted. I suspect that more than a few pints of Guinness were consumed at the neighborhood pub in the process.
Hey, why don't you guys do a podcast with a female? You are badly in need of female presents and a female presence!
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