Since failing to finish “The Golden Mile” pub crawl as a teenager in 1990, Gary (Simon Pegg) has steadfastly refused to grow up, remaining immature and self-destructive twenty-three years later. Trying to recapture the fun of his youth, Gary cons pals Oliver (Martin Freeman), Peter (Eddie Marsan), Andrew (Nick Frost), and Steven (Paddy Considine) into joining him on a return trip to their hometown of Newton Haven, determined to finish “The Golden Mile.” They are joined along the way by Oliver’s sister, Sam (Rosamund Pike), who once had a fling with Gary and who has long been loved from afar by Steven. Arriving in Newton Haven, they unintentionally uncover a secret invasion by robot-like beings that have assimilated most of the town’s residents. When their attempts to blend in fail, the group finds themselves targeted by the robotic collective and given a choice: submit or die. Gary, remaining focused, won’t allow anything to get in the way of finishing the pub crawl.
If Shaun of the Dead is a Zombie parody, and Hot Fuzz a buddy cops, The World’s End is probably best described as a reunion flick with an apocalyptic bent. The core of the story concerns Gary’s refusal to grow up, and desire to stay rooted in the past. Hi clothing, music, and even some of the phrases he uses were poplar in 1990. For Gary, this isn’t really a case of stunted growth per se, 1990 was simply the last time he was truly happy. Now, he’s attempting to avoid dealing with the death of his mother, and the disappointments of his adulthood.
The screenplay (credited to Wright and Pegg) starts out with great energy and humor, capturing the gangs personalities as they head out on the pub crawl. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t keep up the humor and craziness throughout the film’s second half, hitting us with unconvincing reasons as to why the men continue with the crawl. In the end, The World’s End lacks the emotional foundation of the first two films in the trilogy.
Presented in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Universal’s 1080p transfer offers a nice level of detail throughout, showing off the various textures and patterns used. Colors are appropriate, and skin tones look natural throughout. Black levels are pleasantly deep, though a few scenes reveal a rather heavy grain. There are a couple of instances of noise, but none of this is problematic.
The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track serves the film well. Dialogue is largely placed in the center channel, coming through in a clear, distortion-free manner. The surrounds are quite active, offering solid atmospheric effects, and bass when needed.
English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are available.
The following extras are included:
- Feature Commentary: Writer/director Edgar Wright and co-writer Simon Pegg offer up the first of three audio commentaries. The pair focuses on the story, characters and comedy, but they also go for a few good laughs.
- Technical Commentary: Next up are Wright and director of photography Bill Pope, who delivers a track that examines the look of the film, its cinematography and effects, and other aspects from behind the camera.
- Cast Commentary: Pegg returns with co-stars Nick Frost and Paddy Considine for a hilarious commentary.
- U-Control Storyboard PiP (HD): View The World’s End storyboards alongside the final cut of the film. It’s not a full Picture-in-Picture suite per se, but with so many extras, it’s not a big deal.
- Completing the Golden Mile: The Making of The World’s End (HD, 48:06) This Blu-ray exclusive documentary is a must-see, covering nearly every aspect of the production. There’s some overlap with Wright and Pegg’s feature commentary, but there’s plenty of new material to be uncovered.
- Filling in the Blanks: The Stunts and FX of The World’s End (HD, 27:40) Get an inside look at the stuntwork and visual effects involved in the film.
- VFX Breakdown (HD, 8:39) A further look at the visual effects.
- Director at Work (SD, 2:33) Edgar Wright in the spotlight.
- Edgar & Simon’s Flip Chart (SD, 13:18) A look at the writer’s planning process.
- Pegg + Frost = Fried Gold (SD, 3:28) Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in the spotlight.
- Friends Reunited (SD, 3:46) A short EPK largely taken from Completing the Golden Mile.
- Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy (SD, 5:13) The connections between all three films.
- Animatics (SD, 11:16) Animatics for two scenes.
- Hair and Make-Up Tests (SD, 4:07) The actors test some looks.
- Rehearsal Footage (SD, 6:20) Pre-shoot rehearsals with the cast.
- Stunt Tapes (SD, 7:52) A look at three stunt sequences.
- There’s Only One Gary King: Osymyso’s Inibri-8 Megamix (HD, 4:36) Music remix montage.
- Signs & Omens (HD, 7:51) Easter Eggs unveiled.
- Deleted Scene (SD,:53) One deleted scene.
- Outtakes (SD, 10:44) A standard gag reel.
- Alternate Edits (SD, 4:32) A series of alternate takes.
- Bits and Pieces (SD, 3:23) Additional alternate takes.
- Trailers & TV Spots (HD/SD, 7:42) Three trailers presented in HD and three TV promos in SD.
- TV Safe Version (SD, 3:41) The film edited for all ages.
- Galleries (HD) Photographs, concept art, animatronics, prosthetics, theatrical posters and pub signs.
- Trivia Track (HD A pop-up trivia track with more interesting information.
- DVD
- Digital Copy
- UltraViolet
