Funny how two different movies about the end of the world seen from the perspective of really wasted people (and by that I mean drunk, high, intoxicated) found their way to the screens at the same time. One American: "This is the End" and one British: "The World's End". Both films seem to be about people partying, they get into the feelings of the people involved, then they invoke a ridiculously over the top sci-fi or supernatural ending to spice things up. And both are equally good or bad, in my view.
The World's End was all about Simon Pegg trying to resurrect his youth, the magical time when he was free and full of potential. He asks, begs and tricks his old friends to join him in his quest, only to realize that everything has changed in two decades.
While this film was more about the feelings of getting old and useless, increasingly shackled to a life that is very different from what one envisioned as a kid, pressured to change by the "adults" around, the movie wasn't really very deep. The fun part of the film was not that funny either. Good comedies are hard to come by, but Simon Pegg movies have a good track record. Unfortunately, I failed to feel the fun in this film. For me, it started as something and changed track right when it became meaningful. The sci-fi ending was innovative, but ultimately pointless.
Bottom line: not a bad movie, but not a good one either. Pegg had to fill some big expectations based on his previous achievements, but it seemed to me that for this film he just felt like doing a regular middle age story. The pressure was too much, though, and he had to do something flashy. The flash did not go well, while the story remained mediocre.
The World's End was all about Simon Pegg trying to resurrect his youth, the magical time when he was free and full of potential. He asks, begs and tricks his old friends to join him in his quest, only to realize that everything has changed in two decades.
While this film was more about the feelings of getting old and useless, increasingly shackled to a life that is very different from what one envisioned as a kid, pressured to change by the "adults" around, the movie wasn't really very deep. The fun part of the film was not that funny either. Good comedies are hard to come by, but Simon Pegg movies have a good track record. Unfortunately, I failed to feel the fun in this film. For me, it started as something and changed track right when it became meaningful. The sci-fi ending was innovative, but ultimately pointless.
Bottom line: not a bad movie, but not a good one either. Pegg had to fill some big expectations based on his previous achievements, but it seemed to me that for this film he just felt like doing a regular middle age story. The pressure was too much, though, and he had to do something flashy. The flash did not go well, while the story remained mediocre.