It’s a relatively quiet time at the movies at present. Unless you’re feeling another Wolverine installment or perhaps Before Midnight, there really isn’t much out there to explore. Unless of course you’re intrigued – as I was – of the latest Simon Pegg/Nick Frost offering called The World’s End (2013). I’ve always liked this comedy tandem since I first devoured Shaun of the Dead (2004) a while back. They’re fun to watch and their penchant for comic relief never ceases to uplift me.

This is the third film in their so-called Cornetto Trilogy, after the aforementioned Shaun and Hot Fuzz (2007). Accordingly, the Cornetto name is owed to the appearance of a Cornetto in all three features. The World’s End itself can be viewed in two fashions. Firstly, this can be deemed a witty production that provides plenty of laughs along the way. Otherwise, it’s the exact opposite: a banal slapstick that is trying too hard. Personally, I don’t see the second one as being the case, as the movie more than holds its own against higher-end comedy releases. On the other hand though this is definitely not in the same league – all things considered – as the highly anticipated Elysium (2013). While of vastly different genres, I have been down on seeing the latter since early this year.

Given, The World’s End does try to mix up comedy with sci-fi and ends up doing pretty good in neither. Don’t get me wrong. The screenplay does have some fine points and is admittedly a clever blend. Who would have thought that robots – sorry ‘blanks’ – and the wages of pub crawl madness would pan out? In general though, one gets the sense that something is awkward here and perhaps they are riding the ‘blanks’ aspect more than necessary. If at all, this does make for weird viewing but is also a curious exercise. Meanwhile, the comic sequences were well executed and kind of catches you off guard (which is good). The crass language also helped quite a bit in impressing the audience at my cinema. This is never more blatant than in the emergence of the Cornetto. I guess it all is dependent upon what type of humor that you would appreciate. If you enjoyed the first two concoctions or even just Shaun, then chances are that this would be up to par.

My verdict on this one? This is an ideal treat if you’re looking to have a good time and chill at the movies. The film is a breeze to watch and you surely won’t miss a beat; it makes for riveting entertainment. The movie does the job but the onus is ultimately on the audience to gauge the entertainment value of this highly creative and original production.

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