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The World’s End (Hungry’s Movie Reviews)

Shaun of the Dead. Hot Fuzz. Run, Fatboy, Run.  (Star Trek).

Alana added that last one while we were talking about the movie while driving to Denver yesterday. I was comparing this film to the other Simon Pegg movies when she mentioned that series about which she is obsessed. I think it’s funny, but yes, Pegg was good in that too. (Editor’s note: ^_^)

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Obviously The World’s End is the third movie that the combo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have brought us. All three movies are very similar but have slight differences in setting, plot, and characters while taking on a different issue. This film was about nostalgia and using the past as a means of living in the present. It talks about maturity and changes at a very small and VERY large level. It discusses how one human’s stubborn nature can be more meaningful to that person then the fate of the whole world. This is achieved by looking at friendship in the past and the present. This is achieved through the ridiculous means that only this troupe can bring us.

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It was raunchy. It was not politically correct. It was full of sex, violence, bad language, drugs and alcohol. It was brilliant though. The acting was spot on by a group of tremendously talented people. Bilbo came along for the ride. And once again, they use a well-known and loved actor to play the role of that smooth villain. (I thought saying smooth criminal would have been too much) Coincidentally, it was another Bond. Pierce Brosnan picked up what Timothy Dalton started in Hot Fuzz.

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It was enjoyable and moved quickly. It had twists at every corner, some predictable and witty, some random and witless. It spoke about problems we have with ourselves, with others, and with the world. It showed how society has changed and how we can’t allow that globalization to change who we are. It might have been crude but it was as intelligent as all of their other work.

I can’t say where it stands with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I want to say as of right now that it’s not quite at their level but I’m not even sure. I’ve seen the other two many more times but would need to watch all three again to be sure.

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With outstanding reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and how much we enjoyed it, I have to recommend The World’s End. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost remain flawless in their major motion picture releases. Keep up the good work as we wait for the next one! (This movie is about more than drinking 12 pints at 12 bars with 5 guys over the course of a mile, by the way) And although I can’t say that doing that same journey will keep you hungry and fit, friendship and laughs can certainly help.

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BONUS KITTY PIC

No one can resist the power of the head scratch

No one can resist the power of the head scratch

 

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Midnight Showing Review: The Hobbit

If you know us, or if you’ve read this post, you know we are huge Tolkien/Middle Earth fans. So, obviously, we were at the midnight premiere of The Hobbit by the wonderful Peter Jackson & Co. Although we didn’t dress up (sigh), we were brimming with excitement. Finally! It’s out! So I was expecting to leave about 9:30/10PM to wait in line, my cousin said that there won’t be crazy lines. You never know, coming from Los Angeles and New York, we’ve both waited in hefty lines for big movies like this. So we left at 11 (took us ten minutes to get to the theatre).

We packed into the car and got there–no line. Yes! We didn’t have to wait in the cold. Plus, if we paid an extra $1 per ticket, we would get a free t-shirt. Uh, duh. So we got our shirts, our tickets, my smuggled popcorn and sat down for a 3D Dolby Atmos viewing.

Sick Hobbit Shirt

Eventually, the movie started. Now with this insane amazing sound system, our ears kind of hurt. And it wasn’t just mine (I have sensitive ears, Chris calls me “wolf ears”), everyone’s was kind of ringing after. Especially battle scenes. The 3D was good, immersive, and not that silly “pop-out” kind of 3D that I hate. And for the picture…I believe it was a much faster frame rate. Now this was distracting. It looked like a filmed play, it was too realistic, and not theatrical enough. If you have an HD tv, sometime you can see this in certain shows. However, the action was pretty incredible and had a good flow. But…onto the story!

The story was pretty accurate to the book, though I haven’t read it in awhile. And he obviously split it up. I would give the Best Acting Awards to Martin Freeman (Bilbo), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), and Richard Armitage (Thorin). And of course, to Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee, though small roles in this movie they played. One thing I wished is that they made Thorin look more like a Dwarf and less like a Man. I know people were nervous about Martin Freeman playing Bilbo, but let me tell you, he was spot on. Seriously. And of course there’s Andy Serkis as Gollum who really just brings the caliber up. The riddle scene between Bilbo and Gollum was absolutely brilliant.

I started off unsure about it, how I felt, because it takes a little while to get rolling. There’s good humor with the dwarves and it’s fun to see Bilbo before he was an adventurer. By the end, after all the lore (which we love to see), fight scenes, troll scenes, and excellent dialog, I was happy. I want to see it again when it’s not 12 AM. Perhaps during Christmas week with the family.

Lastly…Howard Shore. What would the Lord of the Rings trilogy be without those held-close-to-heart themes that you know as soon as you hear them…the Shire…the Trio…Gollum’s music…It’s all Howard Shore. And he brings it back just as well this time. When we see the Shire, that familiar light-of-heart music comes on and you can’t help but smile. When Gollum comes creeping into the movie, so does his eerie music. And, with this new story (or old, if we’re talking timeline wise), he created a brilliant sound bit for the new adventure gang.

 Rest assured, you will be laughing, gripping your seat, and holding your breath. Now stop reading this and go see it!

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