Cornetto Loses Its Flavour.

The World's End = 54%

So it's Saturday night - it's pouring with rain, you haven't made any plans, and you've got work early in the morning - What do you do? You seek one of the best cures to the halt the 'cabin fever' that quickly consumes you; you stick on a comedy movie and chill out with your family.

By picking 'The World's End', the climactic third act in director Edgar Wright's fabled 'Cornetto Trilogy', I would have put money on the trend continue and uncontrollable laughter filling our household. 'Shaun of the Dead' was fantastic, 'Hot Fuzz' was even better (in my opinion), surely with the third movie Wright along with series mainstays Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were going to up the ante. Sadly, no.

Edgar Wright

Maybe I was disappointed simply because I had built up such high expectation. With the first two installments Wright had a winning formula - a great scripts, and a wonderful British cast to deliver its sharp wit creating non-stop hilarity. For me 'Hot Fuzz' was a non-stop riot of side-splitting laughter, and that's trying to avoid using hyperbole. Comedy zigged and zagged for the whole 2 hours between Pegg and Frost, and its success caused Wright's directorial star to continues its rise up the cinematic ladder.

I thought where 'Hot Fuzz' left off, 'The World's End' would pick up the baton - Unfortunately I was wrong. Without sounding too harsh, it may just be me, the humour almost seemed to evaporate completely. I still can't quite put my finger on why, but often the movie even seemed dull to me. Admittedly it did make me laugh, but very sporadically, and never really in a 'laugh out loud' sense. At places I even found I was forcing myself to laugh, perhaps subconsciously trying to justify my purchase of the DVD for £14.99.

Yes, the cast is still brilliant. Pegg and Frost are fantastic, and their strong friendship off the screen is easily transformed into powerful comedic chemistry. I also appreciated Martin Freeman and Paddy Considine being raised to more effectual roles, but the movie did not do their comedic potential justice. Rosamund Pike and Eddie Marsan were also introduced as 'newcomers' to the trilogy but made no real impact and almost seemed to become bit-part players in a needlessly complicated story.

A good point about this movie is that is shows Wright's ability as a director, ability that will only grow in the coming years. What it lacks in laughs it somewhat makes up for in set-pieces, visual effects and fight-scene choreography. What's even more commendable is that Wright directed this picture on an estimated $28m budget, which is no mean feat! Something this movie has got me excited about is the Marvel studios' 'Ant-Man' due for release in 2015, with Wright in the director's chair. Obviously, Marvel are not an organisation known for doing things by halves and will undoubtedly give Wright a budget in excess of $100m, which is a truly mouth-watering prospect for comic-book fans across the globe!

Reading this review back maybe I will give 'The World's End' another look over, perhaps I've been too hasty. It is humorous, there are an abundance of cleverly orchestrated action sequences that are easy on the eye; and I just can't help but love its delightful cast. Nonetheless, when 'The World's End' could have rounded off 'The Cornetto Trilogy' with a legacy cementing swansong, it concludes on a bit of a bum note.

If I've annoyed you with this review, or you're having a bad day anyway, here's Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio continuing their blossoming romance to cheer you up!

The Verdict - 'The Wolf of Wall Street' = 84%

If I could sum up 'The Wolf of Wall Street' I would say it's a film that you definitely wouldn't want to watch with your parents. Why you may ask? I'll tell you, Scorsese and DiCaprio's fifth outing together is an unparalleled roller-coaster ride of twists and turns, highs and lows fueled by drugs, alcohol, gambling, hedonism and million dollar business deals. To cut a long story short it might it's incredible! ... but might be a little awkward to watch with your folks around.

Without sounding like I'm jumping on the bandwagon I honestly feel this could be the year that Leonardo DiCaprio breaks his infamous 'Oscar curse'. He is in sensational form as Jordan Belfort, the eponymous 'Wolf'. We first meet Jordan as an innocent 22 year old, a fish out of water in the overwhelming world of the New York stock market, trying to make a name for himself. Over the course of the early 1990s we retrace the Wolf's steps as he transforms from a humble family man to a ruthless, domineering drug addict raking in $49m a year and gallivanting with legions of gorgeous women. However, the fabric of Belfort's success soon begins to unravel as he is pursued by the authorities, becomes consumed by addiction and greed, and is alienated by those closest to him. The way the character self-destructs is captured brilliantly by DiCaprio, he appeals to our empathetic side playing a broken man who couldn't quit while he was ahead. DiCaprio brings raw energy to a role that demands it. He exudes charisma and seamlessly slips into Belfort's 'Wolf' persona conveying his dizzying highs and tormenting lows through his god-given acting talent. If he is overlooked by the Academy this year, cries of 'fix' and 'conspiracy' could very well ring throughout the auditorium.

A match made in heaven (Who would've thought it?)

DiCaprio's job is certainly made a hell of lot easier by the truly delicious cast Scorsese has assembled around him. Also tipped for Oscar success (Best Supporting Actor) is Jonah Hill, playing Belfort's neurotic business partner Donnie Azoff. It was recently revealed that Hill took the SAG's minimum pay of $60,000 for this role, simply because he was desperate to work with Scorsese, one of his heroes. This enthusiasm is immediately apparent as he takes to the role like a duck to water. Hill is now quickly establishing himself as hot property on the Hollywood scene, and distancing himself from his 'gross-out' comedy roots. His chemistry with DiCaprio is effortless and unforced, creating a warm, humorous and believable relationship upon which the movie fundamentally survives. 

Also doing well, although a little underused I felt, is the silver screen's 'Renaissance Man' Matthew McConaughey as broker Mark Hanna who first shows Jordan the ropes. The 'chest-beating' scene is definitely one for the ages! Similarly impressive are Rob Reiner as Jordan's hot-tempered father, Joanna Lumley as Emma his demure and seductive aunt, and P.J. Byrne as 'Rugrat' one  of his 'merry men' in the office ensuring the money, among incalculable line of cocaine, keeps piling up.

Margot Robbie - A future prospect

The performance I really enjoyed however was Margot Robbie as Naomi, Belfort's second wife. Robbie's contribution to the movie is brilliant, and that's not just me speaking as a warm-blooded male. The young Australian beauty conveys incredible emotion and vulnerability as she is tossed back and forth between both ends of Belfort's precarious spectrum. The sheer euphoria of their wedding in the Caribbean and the million dollar yachts, and the plight and terror of being dominated by an increasingly overbearing, drug-dependent, almost bipolar husband. At the tender age of 23 the future certainly looks bright for Robbie. She is already being touted to star as Jane in David Yates' upcoming 'Tarzan', and with performances like this no one will dare question any such casting decisions.

The editing and cinematography, although unorthodox, are also fantastic juxtaposing a sober and intoxicated Belfort beautifully. Scorsese essentially knocks another one out of the ball park, which is no less than anyone expected, and if he can continue to churn out movies of such high caliber in the future he will only further cement  his position as one of cinema's greatest ever directors.

Another triumph for Scorsese

The only criticism I would perhaps make, and I really am being picky here, is the running time. At 3 hours Scorsese's movie incurs, a probably unavoidable mid-movie slump. We see 'The Wolf' make his rise but before the fall begins, I'll admit there was a slight lapse in my concentration. The movie seemed to drop off a little bit before it picked up its exhilarating, high octane drama again. But I'll admit I am just looking for a needle in a hay stack here, a small blip on an otherwise fabulous movie that should definitely leave the Academy 'crying Wolf' at this year's ceremony.