Last night I went to the cinema and saw two films that I'd been eagerly anticipating for, quite literally, years.
First up was Monsters University
Decent enough for a prequel/sequel, and made me laugh a good few times. Not up to Pixar standards of old, but still ahead of many other kids offerings of late. I was a bit disappointed that some of the best bits from the trailers weren't actually in the film (eg Mike as a disco ball) I liked the nods to the original, and was particularly pleased to see Roz make an appearance <3 The bit after the credits is worth the wait, too.
The short film is awesome. Utterly beautiful. Shame the twatty foreign students behind me wouldn't STFU. Mind you, to schedule it straight after Paperman seemed a bit odd, as they're quite similar in many respects.
Next was The World's End - almost certainly my most eagerly awaited film of my entire life.
Due to the fact I'd been following this and waiting for it for years, I was worried. Really worried. I was convinced it'd be a bit crap and a huge disappointment. I'd been encouraged by recent positive reviews, but still couldn't shake the concern.
I needn't have worried really. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very funny, generally well paced and entertaining throughout.
Again, there were loads of nods to the previous films in the "Three Flavours Trilogy" to keep the fans happy. I thought they missed a couple of tricks where they could've thrown a few more in, but I guess it's good that they didn't overdo it. What struck me actually, was the number of people in the HUGE cinema where I saw it, that clearly got all the trilogy in-jokes. Hell, I think the Mint Cornetto got the biggest laugh of the whole film.
I'm not without criticism for the film. It's always been the case, but never more obvious than here - Nick Frost can't act for ****. Not that it really matters though, and certainly doesn't spoil it. In fact, it's almost part of its charm.
As a bit of an Edgar Wright fangirl, what struck me was the lack of many of his usual visual trademarks. Whilst some sneak in towards the end (presumably held back to help increase the pace as the story builds) they were (to me, at least) noticeably sparse. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as it felt a bit more "grown up" and sophisticated in that respect, but I would've expected it to stick to the style of the other two, for consistency if nothing else.
I left the cinema with a real sense that I'd just witnessed the end of an era. Helped along, I suspect, with the parallels I was able to draw between my own life and that of Gary King. OK, so he's 10 years my senior and a vastly exaggerated version, but it did make me ponder myself and my own outlook on life.
Overall, it's an excellent film, and a fitting end to the trilogy that began with one of my absolute favourite films of all time.
PS. I totally freaked out on the cycle ride home. Up a (normally quiet) back street, a huge group of onesie-clad students staggered towards me with arms outstretched. I then noticed a piece of graffiti on a wall next to them proclaiming "The world you once knew is behind you". I've never pedalled so fast in my life.