The World's End (2013)

Ah, so this is why they say you can't go home again...

Gary (Simon Pegg) returns to reunite his friends and complete the Golden Mile, a marathon pub crawl in their hometown.  Their first attempt over 20 years ago was met with failure, but this time Gary is determined that they'll reach the final pub, The World's End.  However, the gang has all moved on and a pub crawl isn't high on their list of things to do.  One of them, Andie (Nick Frost), doesn't even drink anymore.  The rest aren't too wild about Gary and the fact that he hasn't grown up at all.  The impulsive and talkative Gary manages to convince them though.  They hit a series of pubs before they start to notice that things are a little off since the last time they were in town, and then it gets weird.

I'm not sure how many of you have seen the trailer for The World's End, or if you're a fan of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's previous collaborations (which I've just learned is called the "Cornetto trilogy").  The reason I bring this up is that the movie takes a significant turn around the halfway point that I don't want to spoil, but anyone that's seen the trailer or is familiar with their previous work will likely be aware already.  I'm going to err on the side of not spoiling though and be a little more vague and a lot less wordy than usual.

Spoilers or not, it isn't going to ruin your enjoyment of The World's End.  Once things get going, it's a ton of fun.  If you aren't laughing at the situations they find themselves in, then the dialog will get you.  The thing I love about the Cornetto trilogy is not just how well written they are, but how it's clear that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright love the genres they're riffing on.  There's so much attention to detail and subtle references to other films.  Even Paul, which was written by Pegg and Nick Frost, is full of sci-fi references.  Fans are rewarded with multiple viewings of these films, and I think The World's End will be no exception.  I was recently shown a clip from Shaun of the Dead where the opening scene brilliantly spells out exactly how the movie is going to go.  It's the kind of thing I didn't notice the first time, or even second time I watched it.  I've already heard about a few things from The World's End that I didn't pick up the first time around.

Another thing that makes these films stand out is that there's more to them than clever dialog or genre references.  Like some of the better Judd Apatow comedies, there are underlying themes that give them meaning and more to connect with.  As you learn more about the characters and what's really going on in their lives, you see what's really driving them.  People that aren't necessarily sympathetic at the beginning are by the end.

Much of the cast from the previous Cornetto films return or have small roles in The World's End.  From working so much together, they have great chemistry and play off each other like old pros.  They really do seem like genuine friends.  Rosamund Pike joins the cast to give it a jolt of estrogen.  I've always enjoyed Pike, but I really her taking a stab at comedy from the usual drama/thrillers she's in, and no, Johnny English Reborn does not count.

If you're a fan of Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, then you'll also love The World's End.  I'd say it's probably somewhere in between those two films a far as overall quality, but your mileage may vary.  Even if you aren't familiar with the Cornetto trilogy, there's a lot of fun to be had, and it's one of the better comedies of the year.  I strongly recommend checking it out, and maybe even getting a pint or two to really put yourself in the mood.

4 (out of 5) Death Stars

Life of Pi (2012) - Movie Review

Maybe if Siegfried and Roy were on the boat, they would have been able to handle the tiger...

This is a difficult movie to describe, because it's hard to talk about it and not sound like I'm high.  It's one of those movies.  Life of Pi is yet another movie based off a book considered 'un-filmable'.  The original book, by Yann Martel, is just as ambitious as something like Cloud Atlas, but Pi succeeds where Atlas didn't, both in story and visuals.

The movie follow the story of 'Pi'.  His given name was "Piscine Molitor", after a swimming pool at a French hotel, but shortened it in school as his name sounded like 'pissing' and got a lot of hell from schoolmates.  Actually, the story stars with a writer who's introduced to an adult Pi through a mutual friend.  He's been told that Pi has a story that will make him believe in God, and wants to hear it.  As some of you may know, I'm not the most religious person, so I sometimes tune out when a movie hits you over the head with religious ideas.  Life of Pi felt more spiritual than religious though.  Pi was raised as a Hindu, but was introduced to concepts from Christianity and Islam at a young age, and appeared to accept the 'best of breed' concepts on more of a philosophical level.

As Pi tells his story, we learn that his family owned a zoo.  They decide to sell all the animals and move to Canada, but while transporting everyone on a Japanese cargo ship, the ship sinks during a storm, and Pi is the only survivor to make it on the lifeboat.  A tiger, named "Richard Parker", named due to a clerical error, has also found it's way onto the lifeboat.  At this point, it's cat and mouse game of Pi trying to stay alive on a makeshift raft, while trying to survive both the elements and the Tiger.

The main flaw of the movie is that it does drag at points as we follow Pi and Richard Parker drifting at sea.  It seems to go on for ages, and even the movie loses track of how much time has passed. That's my only real gripe.  The pacing could have been better.

The movie is a visual feast though.  I'm upset this movie wasn't available in IMAX in my area.  Life of Pi totally deserves to be seen in IMAX and 3D.  The 3D in this movie is Avatar-esque as far as quality and immersion.  There are several scenes in the film that are just as bright and colorful as anything you saw in Avatar.  The CG is so fantastic that I had a hard time believing that the creatures, especially the tiger, was real.  Whether it was a combo of CG and real animals, it's an example of when the line and CG and reality is totally blurred.

Ang Lee succeeds again and cements himself as a guy that can film difficult stories and sell them to the audience.  While I didn't connect with it emotionally, because I'm more machine than man, I saw many people wiping their eyes at the end of the movie.  David Magee's screenplay is faithful to the book, from what I hear, but the movie could have lost a few minutes here and there.

Besides the amazing visuals, that standouts of the film are the performances of Pi, by both Suraj Sharma as the young Pi, and Irrfan Khan as the older Pi.  It's really amazing to find that this is Suraj Sharma's first acting role.  He carries the majority of the film while acting against either a green screen or an animal.  This isn't the type of performance you'd expect from a novice, and I'm looking forward to bigger things from him now.  Khan provides some emotional depth as the older Pi recounting his story.

Life of Pi is a visually stunning movie that rivals Avatar, but has more emotional depth to it.  It features some of the best CG and 3D I've seen in a long time, but has strong performances backing it up.  The story can feel like a bit of a marathon, but I think that was kind of the point. This is definitely worth seeing in the theater.

4 (out of 5) Death Stars