Laurie Sparham / Focus FeaturesIn the last decade, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have become our favorite geeks from across the pond. Pegg's an outspoken Star Wars nerd—don't get him started on the prequels though—while Frost loves everything comic-cons have to offer. In their last film, Paul, the duo even filmed themselves trekking the floor of San Diego Comic-Con.
Their latest outing reteams them with director Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) for the final installment in their comedy trilogy that began with 2004's, Shaun of the Dead. (More on that below.) The World's End is every bit as clever and wild as their previous flicks, now with more beer.
Gary King (Pegg) is a middle-aged raging alcoholic who wants to relive what he believes were his glory days. Back in the '90s, he and his buds (Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan) set out to do the ultimate pub crawl, 12 bars in one night. Ending their drunken journey at—the name says it all—The World's End pub. Back then, they only drank at 10 of the 12 establishments. So Gary has reunited (read: conned) his childhood pals to give it one more go. For the first 30 minutes, that's all the movie is: hilariously overflowing with pints, local scenery and constant bickering.
Then Gary knocks the head off a jerky twentysomething and blue oil spills from it's sockets. Egads! Robots have overtaken a small England town!
Here's the five ways the latest comedy is really far out:
1. The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy Is Complete. Director Wright's first feature also starred Pegg and Frost, the best zombie flick of the 2000s: Shaun of the Dead (2004). The trio followed with the cop parody Hot Fuzz (2007). And now we've got the End. All three films are connected by Cornetto, a U.K. only ice cream chain. Shaun had strawberry-red, Fuzz original blue and End has tasty mint chocolate chip.
2. He's the King, Gary King. Simon Pegg swings for the fences and scores playing against his typical nerd self. Gary is beyond obnoxious as he casually lies about his dear mum's passing to persuade his sober friend Andy (Frost) to join them for an endless drunken night. Pegg keeps Gary as annoying as ever while never testing our patience.
3. Paging Dr. Ink…12 Pubs, 12 Steps. Though the film might look like a glorious send-up of getting hammered (well, it sorta is that) the 12 pubs could also be seen as Gary's 12 steps to realizing that he's got a problem. Good thing those higher-powered robots show up.
4. Invasion of the Robo Snatchers. Shaun poked fun at undead flicks like Dawn of he Dead while Hot Fuzz proved writers Pegg and Wright had seen Point Break a lot. End uses the "robot's have taken over" plot as a terrific homage to Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
5. One More Bond, Please. Hot Fuzz had a terrifically sleazy role for Bond #4, Timothy Dalton. End has Pierce Brosnan (Bond #5) playing the de factor leader of the robo-pod town. Did we miss Roger Moore's cameo in Shaun?