The World's End

 

July 2013 will be remembered as the month when I went to see two comedies in the cinema, both of which were apocalypse themed with the word “End” in the title. 

The trailer for The World’s End wasn’t particularly interesting however excitement for the film was there.  The team of Wright/Pegg/Frost has worked so well in the past I would have seen the film even if they didn’t release a preview.

PLOT:  On the brink of turning forty troubled Gary King (Simon Pegg) convinces his now estranged childhood friends (Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan) to go back to their home town to recreate a legendary pub crawl known as The Golden Mile.  As unresolved friction threatens to ruin the reunion the friends discover that mankind is in the process of being invaded by robots. END PLOT

The opening segments of The World’s End feature a flashback to the original attempt at The Golden Mile and a brief introduction to the characters as adults.  They are amusing but the film doesn’t really get going until the five actors are all together.

The idea of a pub crawl during a robot invasion sounds ridiculous but the film keeps grounded by surprising us with some emotionally poignant scenes.  Gary (Pegg), Andy (Frost), Steven (Considine), Oliver (Freeman) and Peter (Marsan) are all brand new characters but it felt as though I had known them for years.  Peter’s reaction to seeing his childhood bully was heart wrenching but it made getting his revenge all the more satisfying (and amusing).

As the pub crawl progressed from pub to pub the characters got drunker and the invasion gets more serious.  It’s hard not to laugh at their drunken reactions to the madness.

Pegg and Frost swap their traditional roles with Frost now playing the straight man.  This was an inspired decision as Pegg manages to be hilarious yet brings a pathetic sadness to Gary.

Considine and Marsan are also great fun but it is Martin Freeman who stole the show.  Freeman has this wonderful mild mannered attitude but I always feel like he is wound tighter than a drum.  It is only a matter of time before Freeman raises his voice and hulks out on us.  I can’t wait for this day.

It is a testament to those involved that five men walking down a street is the most hilarious section of the film

The cast are clearly having a ball and their enjoyment is infectious.  There are some laugh out loud moments and plenty of giggles and although The World’s End can’t quite match Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz in terms of comedy value it trumps them both in emotional punches.

There are plenty of cameo appearances and familiar faces – it is comfortingly nostalgic spotting actors who played zombies in Shaun of the Dead in the background. 

The robot effects are good and despite having five leads who are not exactly renowned for hand to hand combat scenes the action sequences and robot battles are very well choreographed (and amusing). 

The World’s End is the final instalment in The Cornetto Trilogy and it is obvious that the entire team gave this film their all.  It is probably the weakest of the trilogy in terms of genuine laughs but the changes in tone to give us big dramatic moments suited the film perfectly.   The World’s End gets 8/10. 

I watched The World's End unable to shake the realisation that this is potentially the final film the Wright/Pegg/Frost team make together.  If they change their minds and make a fourth I doubt anyone would complain. They haven't taken on the horror genre yet........

***This is my 2nd comedy review of the month and you will note that the word miserable has not been used once.  This is because I am not miserable (dammit) although, perhaps more alarming, I find the destruction of mankind hilarious***

Snow White and the Huntsman

Snow White and the Huntsman is the second adaptation of the tale for 2012. It was the one I was looking forward to the most as the trailer implied a more grown up offering rather than the cartoonish Mirror Mirror.

PLOT: After Snow White’s (Kristen Stewart) mother dies in a harsh winter her father’s depression is lifted by the first attractive female he meets. Unfortunately for Snow White her new step mother, Ravenna (Charlize Theron) is a narcissistic witch who is insanely jealous of Snow White’s beauty. Snow White escapes the castle and hides in the enchanted forest. Ravenna hires the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to bring her Snow’s heart. Snow White along with the help of several dwarves team up to defeat the wicked queen and save the kingdom. END PLOT

The story of Snow White is well known but credit should be given to Snow White and the Huntsman for trying to produce a more adult offering compared to Mirror Mirror.

The epic feel of Snow White was heavily featured in the trailer but unfortunately the battle action lasted no longer than the snippet in the previews. The fantasy element was played up greatly in the second act however the film ground to a halt so that Snow White could frolic with some fairies and stare slack jawed at a white deer for at least twelve minutes.

The tone of the film was extremely uneven and although the fantasy element during Snow’s initial journey into the dark forest was impressive the effects which followed added very little to the film.

As much as I was looking forward to Snow White my biggest fear was the casting of Kristen Stewart. I am not a fan of the Twilight saga and Stewart's portrayal of the Bella Swann has been consistently cringe worthy.

Stewart does pull of a fairly decent English accent however her “rally the troops into battle” speech is the most she speaks in the entire film.  There was a noticeable lack of dialogue from the title character for the vast majority of the the two hour running time. Stewart’s method of hyperventilating to convey emotion is not fooling anyone and it beggars belief how she was cast as the lead in this film - she is a terrible actress who looks consistently bored.  The only time I was convinced by her portrayal of Snow White was when she was unconscious.

Chris Hemsworth has proved that he has a strong sword arm and can now add Almost Scottish to his growing repertoire of almost accents. Hemsworth, although very muscular, is becoming a one trick pony albeit his trick is decent. Hemsworth’s next major role is playing the iconic James Hunt – this will be the role that defines what direction his career is going to take.

No real point to this picture but if Hemsworth is good as James Hunt I will love him forever!

Charlize Theron graduated top of the class of “ee-nun-see-ate to show that aye aaammm eeeevaaal” and although this was risky it didn’t stray into take the piss territory until after the film had ended. Theron was a strong villain who managed to evoke a certain amount of sympathy. The ageing effects were impressive and it was hard to tell when we were seeing the real Theron.

The supporting cast of dwarves were made up of Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost and the ever entertaining Ray Winstone but their screen time was limited and they were reduced to comic effect which was as uneven as the overall tone of the film.

The main problem with Snow White and the Huntsman wasn’t the casting. It was the severe lack of chemistry.

Snow White and the Huntsman spend a large portion of the film together and although Hemsworth tries hard Stewart looked bored throughout. There was no spark at all between the two leads.

It may have been because I was getting as bored as Stewart or it may have been because Sam Claflin was quite attractive but the film was lifted whenever he was on screen. What is it with me and an attractive man with a bow and arrow?

The introduction of William (Snow’s childhood friend) skewed the storyline slightly as he wasn’t the Prince or Snow White’s true love. I know this particular adaptation claimed to put a fresh twist on the tale but there is something about the three leads, their amounts of screen time and the ending in which Snow White didn’t choose a Prince just screamed to me that there were heavy edits in this film.

I really feel like the filmmakers realised that Stewart was the weak link and they desperately tried to write Snow White out of her own story. The fact that it was announced that the Huntsman would be getting his own movie meant alarm bells were ringing before the film was even released.

It would have been extremely easy to rename the film The Huntsman and tell it from his point of view and frankly that is what they should have done.

Snow White and the Huntsman is very much a missed opportunity as the basis for an epic fairy tale was there.  It is just unfortunate a strong script and experienced director were not. Snow White and the Huntsman gets a 6/10.

As with most fantasy films it would have been greatly improved if Guillermo del Toro had been involved, but then again, I could end every single review with that comment.

Paul

I have been a huge Pegg/Frost fan since the days of Spaced but the fact that they were off to America worried me somewhat. This worry was upgraded to absolute terror when it was announced that my 4th least favourite American Seth Rogen would be joining them. There was genuine fear for Pegg/Frost’s comedy legacy and it was with an over abundance of nervous trepidation that The Nerdy Trio went to see Paul.

PLOT: Clive and Graeme, two Brits on a road trip fresh from Comic Con run into an alien named Paul who has escaped from the Government. They must help him get to a destination which is never fully explained in order that he can be picked up by his ship. They are chased by Agent Zoil (Jason Bateman my 5th favourite American) and his two trainees through the dusty back roads of America. Clive and Graeme kidnap Ruth played by Kristen Wiig (another Saturday Night Live cast off that I neither care for nor care to see more of). Graeme and Ruth fall in love. Paul swears a lot. Sigourney Weaver shows up and I get a little over excited at the use of one of the best lines in Aliens. Paul gets beamed up. END PLOT

Paul opens up at Comic Con and I watch two nerds live out my dream. We are then transported to a hotel with Pegg and Frost gushing to the tune of “We are in America!” “I cant believe we made it to America”. This was too self congratulatory for my liking and at the moment in time I hated them and quite frankly forty eight hours later I am still hurting from this.

The movie starts off quite slowly and picks up speed when they crash into Paul (voiced by the bile inducing Seth Rogen). I enjoyed the Pineapple Express - it was funny but there is something about Seth Rogen that I now cannot stand. I think it is the fact that he is in every single comedy known to man without one humorous bone in his body (the funny bone not withstanding). I hate him - he is the male equivalent of Jennifer Aniston (My 1st least favourite American).

Someone should tell Seth Rogen (and Jennifer Aniston for that matter) that being a workaholic doesn't necessarily mean he (or she) is any good at his (or her) job.

The success of the movie Paul is heavily dependent upon the success character Paul. Paul’s main contribution to the laughs is that he swears, drinks, smokes a lot and is fowl mouthed. He is funny but it just seemed like a desperate and cheap attempt to get laughs. There was nothing particularly clever about Paul.

Pegg and Frost were are good as ever but the big laughs came from Bateman and his two trainee agents.

There were some clever little moments - the Hillbilly Cantina bar music and some brilliant throwaway lines - Deliverance, Aliens and a brilliant Battlestar Galactica line that you will either think is hilarious or you just wont get at all.

Paul does deliver laughs and it is clever but if you watched it back to back with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz it is noticeably the weakest of the three - saying that Paul is a lot funnier than most comedies that you will see this year.

Paul gets an 8/10.
Paul cements the fact that Pegg/Frost are two of the best comedy double teams out there (although come back home boys, come back home)
Paul cements the fact that I am now in love with Jason Bateman (and his amazing head of thick, gelled hair)
Paul cements the fact that I do despise Seth Rogen (If a Pegg/Frost movie cannot thaw that fiery hatred then nothing ever will)