THE WORLD'S END is what most people consider the weakest of the series - I'm here to disagree with that.
Why I believe this film is not the worst of the three but the best, reasons are aplenty. The complete role reversal between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for one. In the past two entries, Pegg has been the upstanding citizen or at least the better of the two, with Frost being the self-deprecating and borderline dumbbell. This time, it's different. It's unusual seeing Pegg as the loony, and he fits into the archetype perfectly, the entirety of the film he is bursting with energy and is so pinned on his rose-tinted spectacle of the past it's heartbreaking. However, as they progress to titular pub, Frost reveals his true colours as a drunken beast of a man, albeit that isn't applicable to his initial character.
I feel also that this holds up more because it mixes the niche subject matter of Shaun of the Dead and the hilariously over-the-top, debris-filled action of Hot Fuzz to garner the best of both worlds. It learns from its predecessors and takes appropriately from them to become the most progressive film of the three. The same silky smooth camera work and direction trademarks have their place, only more refined. The cumulative experience of past work coming together at once.
As for audience reaction, upon its release, the reaction was certainly positive and a majority of critics seem to agree with me, but no one whom I know that has seen The World's End thinks it is anywhere near the best, but the worst. That I don't understand, with the only aspect of this film that I could nail down to that attribute perhaps being the plot, in its simplicity. However, that never dismayed audiences with either of the past films, as Shaun of the Dead in itself was no complex narrative.
If anything, the detail of The World's End should simply please any fan of the Wright/Pegg/Frost collaboration, an example being how each of the pubs that the cast has to crawl through to achieve The World's End not only foreshadow the plot, but the characters actions within said plot, The Old Familiar serving as quite a hearty and memorable punchline from a much more prominent, gladly, Martin Freeman. The supporting cast is arguably the strongest also, as usually a majority of the chemistry between Pegg and Frost's characters are solely with their characters, and The World's End opens that up to a whole crew, broadening the personalities on offer whilst also maintaining said tight chemistry, as if it were still between only the two.
The whole film ties up the loose trilogy very nicely, perhaps incredibly, as all of the past efforts and experience with one another culminate to create the most refined, being equally as entertaining as the past two if not more, as the loving care and homages are all still there, it just makes it so very difficult not to recommend for one who is looking for a comedy. As The World's End, Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead are all must-watches for anyone who is even remotely interested in film, regardless of their preferences. It is a guaranteed good time.
A montage/recap of the best of the trilogy, obvious major spoilers ahead...
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