The Best Film Scores Of 2014

From Alexandre Desplat to Hans Zimmer, film composers have had a busy year sending film-goers on some spectacular aural adventures. They’ve sent us through black holes and into dystopian revolutions, and yet they’re often overlooked when it comes to the annual barrage of end-of-year lists. So here, in no particular order, is a compilation of what are (in my opinion) the best film film scores of the last twelve months.

Stick your headphones in, make yourself comfortable – and enjoy.

Interstellar by Hans Zimmer

He’s the pro, the stalwart of film composotion and frankly, a gift that keeps giving. Teaming up with Christopher Nolan once again, Zimmer’s score for the space epic that is Interstellar used building organ segments such as the one in No Time For Caution (below), creating an ominious through tone that had you holding your breath without realising. The beat that ticks like a clock throughout serves to remind us that Cooper, Brand and co. are racing against time to find humanity a new planet. Pure genius.

 

Godzilla by Alexandre Desplat

Possibly the busiest composer of the year (writing an astonishing six scores), Desplat’s music for Gareth Edward’s reimagining of Godzilla mixes contemplative piano with aggressive string sections. Reminiscent of John Williams’s theme for Jaws in places, Desplat’s music for Godzilla effectively conveys the scale and power of the beast whilst still keeping things poignant for scenes of tragedy. If you’re looking for the chilling music that played in the trailer with that incredible HALO jump sequence, it’s Gyorgy Ligeti’s Kyrie, Requiem, which you can find HERE.

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel by Alexandre Desplat

Desplat again, but this time lending his scoring prowess to the quirky and uniquely recognisable Wes Anderson. The Grand Budapest Hotel was one of this years gems, and required a soundtrack that added to the comedic brilliance that was Ralph Fiennes’s performance. A film about theft and murder set in the fictional country of Zubrowka, Desplat used traditional eastern European influences to add to the mystery and fun of the film.

 

Mockingjay by James Newton Howard

Jennifer Lawrence’s Mockingjay, Katniss Everdeen, found herself leading a full-scale rebellion in the latest chapter of the Hunger Games cinematic adaptions. James Newton Howard continues his dystopian saga with the third film, maintaining that powerful blend of simple yet moving segments for Katniss with full on militaristic pieces that accurately mirror the threat of the evil President Snow. The score is menacing and yet somehow uplifting – the Mockingjay theme builds to a moving  crescendo of strings before finishing with an ominous outro as she faces the daunting challenges ahead.

 

 X-Men: Days of Future Past by John Ottman

Taking the reigns from First Class composer Henry Jackman, Ottman’s score for the latest mutant blockbuster adds to his X-Men collection having previously provided the music for X2. With our favourite heroes facing certain defeat in the future, Wolverine is sent back in time but finds the young Professor Xavier a broken man following Raven’s defection to Magneto’s cause and the closure of his school. This piece, Xavier’s theme, plays as he’s urged by his older self to hope again. Ottman uses a mix of piano and strings with synth tones to reflect the themes of old and new at one of the most poignant and important moments of the film.

 

 Captain America: The Winter Soldier by Henry Jackman

With its neglection of the themes Alan Silvestri created for the first Cap outing and its heavy reliance on electronic sound, Jackman’s score for The Winter Soldier came under fire for being too different from the first film’s album. But this is Cap in modern times, facing an enemy (or old friend?) with a bionic arm. It needed some new, digital sound and Jackman delivered with what he describes as an “injection of symphonic, thematic, heroic music”. It’s an energetic and punchy soundtrack with some cracking sections for fight scenes, such as this one for the battle on The Causeway.

 

Guardians of the Galaxy by Tyler Bates

Spare a thought for Tyler Bates, whose hard work producing a soundtrack for the superb GotG was overshadowed by the success of the old school Awesome Mix Vol. 1 that added nostalgia to a throroughly futuristic Marvel movie. When it’s not Blue Swede playing,  Bates’s score fuses military drum beats with heroic strings for our heroes and menacing vocal and brass undertones for the villains, ultimately creating a clear and coherant musical journey for an unusual (but brilliant) superhero film.

 

Agree/disagree with the choices above?

Share your opinions by leaving a comment!

Benedict Cumberbatch Is Doctor Strange

In quite possibly the least surprising casting announcement to date, Marvel have finally revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch is officially confirmed to play Doctor Strange. The actor has spent months dodging questions on the surgeon-turned-sorcerer ever since rumours he was top choice started circling in October.

Marvel producer Kevin Fiege said in a statement that: “Stephen Strange’s story requires an actor capable of great depth and sincerity. In 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character.”

After a car crash seriously damages his hands, the self-serving Strange is forced to quit his career in neurosurgery. Finding no success in conventional therapies and quickly running out of money, he heads (obviously…) for the Himalayas, where he encounters a magical healer called the Ancient One and learns the mystic arts in order to defeat the nefarious Baron Mordo.

This is the second big casting announcement from the comic book giant in the latter part of this year, following confirmation that Chadwick Boseman (42, Get On Up) will be playing Black Panther. As is Marvel tradition, there’s a good chance at least one of the two will appear in an end-credit stinger (or at least get a mention) in the upcoming Age of Ultron.

Doctor Strange is slated for a July 2016 release.

Bond 24 is SPECTRE

Bond 24 finally has its official title: Spectre. After months of speculation, director Sam Mendes annouced the name at a grand unveiling at Pinewood Studios this morning. Mendes takes the helm and hopes to emulate the success of his previous Bond outing, the billion-dollar grossing Skyfall. The name Spectre is well-known to fans of the earlier Bond films as the acronym Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. Possibly one of the coolest names in film. Expect extreme shadiness.

The first official poster.

As for the cast…well, Daniel Craig is still Bond, Ralph Fiennes has his first real go at being the new M, as well as Naomi Harris and Ben Whishaw returning as Moneypenny and Q respectively. New to the MI6 team is Andrew Scott, playing a figure called Denbigh. The Bond girls are Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci, and Dave Bautista adds muscle as Mr Hinx. Double Academy Award-winning Christoph Waltz is the big bad, as…erm…not Blofeld, as rumoured. His villain is named Oberhauser. No mention of the kitty-stroking slaphead (and leader of the eponymous terrorist organisation) at all. Hmm… The official synopsis reads as follows: “A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.” As well as a new mission and new cast members, fans can expect a new Aston Martin (the DB10), which was present for its photoshoot this morning alongside the actors. Spectre is due for release on October 23rd 2015.

Why Foxcatcher Is The Most Exciting True-Crime Drama Of 2014

In January 1996, the US Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz was shot dead in the driveway of his home on the 800-acre Foxcatcher Farm in Pennsylvania. The culprit? The American wrestling team’s sponsor – multimillionaire John du Pont, who had given Schultz a place to live on his sprawling estate in order to coach and train the men (including Schultz’s younger brother Mark) competing at the Games in Atlanta that summer. In 1997 a judge found du Pont guilty of third degree murder and declared him mentally ill; in the run up to the shooting, du Pont had become increasingly paranoid, convinced Dave Schultz was plotting to kill him as part of a wider conspiracy. He died in prison in 2010.

Fast forward to 2014, and the case has been turned into one of the most talked about cinematic dramas of the year. Director Bennett Miller (Capote, Moneyball) has cast an unusual selection of actors into the roles, most notably choosing the typically comedic Steve Carrell to play the schizophrenic du Pont. Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum play the Schultz brothers Sr. and Jr. respectively. Their performances have been labelled career defining by publications that have seen the film, and Miller won Best Director at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

However, it is Carrell’s performance that is generating the most buzz. From the trailer alone you know that this is going to be something special; his audible breaths as he’s questioning Mark Schultz about his future, the way he celebrates like a child as the squad chant his name, the chilling calmness with which he enters the gym with a gun in his hand. Once Tatum’s Schultz chooses to train as part of Team Foxcatcher, du Pont is relentless in his need to keep him under his control and is threatened by Ruffalo’s elder, and more knowledgeable brother.

Carrell, perhaps more than anyone else, is making a statement about his abilities as an actor and it has not gone unnoticed by the critics and likely neither the Academy. In an interview with EW, Miller revealed that the audience didn’t even recognise Carrell at a test screening: “If I say I’m going to make a movie about a guy who’s a schizophrenic murderer, there are probably a dozen actors who would immediately appear on anybody’s casting list and Steve would not be on any of those lists. And that’s a good thing. Because it’s unexpected.”

As a plot, Foxcatcher is a gift to a director. Especially a director with a technique for storytelling as refined as Bennett Miller. True crime dramas are a risky business, as audiences already know the endings. What Miller has done with Foxcatcher is to amp up the suspense and demand so much from his actors (Tatum has described the experience as “the hardest acting challenge I’ve had to date”) that the story almost becomes more disturbing than the crime itself. It asks what the price of sporting success is, and questions how far people are willing to go to achieve it.

As an intense, complex psychological drama, Foxcatcher is not only a winner, it’s a must-see.

Foxcatcher is in UK cinemas from December 20^th.

Hugh McIlmoyle: Carlisle Legend

40 YEARS SINCE THEIR LEAGUE ONE PROMOTION, THE CUFC LEGEND TALKS PLAYING TOP-FLIGHT FOOTBALL, TEAM SPIRIT, AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE BLUES’ ESCAPING RELEGATION.

Upon first meeting Hugh McIlmoyle, one may be forgiven for thinking this isn’t the same man who’s something of a Cumbrian hero, a man with a statue of himself in pride of place outside Brunton Park, a man whose name is nothing short of legend where Carlisle United is concerned.

Indeed, when his wife Rosalind guides us into their living room, he’s deep in conversation with the builder who’s been round to work that morning. He’s wearing tartan slippers and, aside from the odd bits of footballing memorabilia dotted around the room, there’s nothing to suggest he is the icon everyone believes him to be.

But spend five minutes with him, and you’ll find yourself wondering why you ever doubted it. Physically you can tell he was a footballer. Now 74, he’s still in pretty good shape. When he talks, it’s in a warm Scottish brogue that’s full of passion for the game, for the club, and his own experiences.

Our meeting is no coincidence. This year marks the 40^th anniversary of Carlisle United’s promotion to League One, a feat the famous Liverpool and ex-Carlisle manager Bill Shankly praised as “the greatest feat in the history of the game”. For McIlmoyle, the promotion to top-flight football came at a time when he was considering hanging up his boots, having already played for Carlisle twice in his career.

“It was ’73, I was at Greenock Morton, and I was on the verge of retiring,” he explains. “At the beginning of July I got a phone call from David Dent, who was the secretary at Carlisle United, asking me to go down and see him, and he wanted to sign me on. You can imagine the surprise it was for me!” he laughs. The choice was a no-brainer: “I signed on for them for the third time.”

“One thing Carlisle always had when I was playing with them in the sixties and seventies was team spirit, you know? For me, you need to have that in teams if you’re going to progress.”

Carlisle entered the First Division in 1974. To this day, it remains the lowest populated location in England to have a team in the top league since 1906.

“Everybody was looking forward to it so much because it was a bit of a miracle, you know? In this day and age there is no chance at all that a club as small as Carlisle could enter the Premiership. None whatsoever.” He doesn’t come across as cynical; it’s just a fact of modern football. “Back then in the sixties and seventies it was more of a level pitch. Everybody was probably on the same wage, you know, a fiver here or a tenner there.”

Carlisle faced Chelsea in the first game of the season, a game that the North London side were strong favourites to win. “You know,” says McIlmoyle fondly, “there’s a lot of things I forget about the past but that, I’ll never forget about it. Coming out of the tunnel and all the Chelsea players were standing there shaking our hands. You see it all the time now, they do it regularly, but for them to do that…” he trails off, temporarily lost in the incredible memory.

“Obviously everyone expected them to win, but one thing Carlisle always had when I was playing with them in the sixties and seventies was team spirit, you know? For me, you need to have that in teams if you’re going to progress. We weren’t frightened or anything, we just went out. We knew we were a strong team and when we got the first goal it just seemed to enlighten everything, and then the second goal and that was it. It was a game I’ll never forget.”

Carlisle won 2-0, and went on to top the table with further wins over Middlesborough, Spurs and a famous double over Everton. Despite being relegated at the end of the season, it will forever be remembered as the year the small northern city took on the big names without fear. The notion of team spirit is a recurring theme of our conversation, and clearly something McIlmoyle takes seriously.

“It was a big thing then, to have this team spirit,” he says. “I mean obviously it doesn’t work for all teams but if you’ve got a good manager he knows what it is to have it. One time at Carlisle we only had 18 players and didn’t have a reserve team, but the team spirit was 100%.”

And now, with the current Carlisle team sitting perilously close to relegation (at the time of writing), it’s even more important. For him, there’s a clear connection between feeling like you’re part of a team, and playing well. He’s always spoken openly about his love for the city and people of Carlisle, and it was this sense of being part of something brimming with that energy that helped him make a name for himself during his first stint at United in 1963. The result spoke for itself; during the ‘63/’64 season he broke the goal-scoring record, hitting the net 44 times.

“I got 44 that particular season, but it didn’t bother me,” he muses. “I didn’t go out and think: ‘I’ve got to score today’. I think someone said to me it was 39 or 42, the record, and I don’t know if it was psychological but I then went four or five games without scoring!”

“When you get into a winning streak it’s good. You have bags of confidence obviously, but when you’re losing you get the opposite effect. Once you start losing it’s difficult to get out of it. It’s in your head.”

His abilities as a prolific goalscorer caught the attention of Wolverhampton Wanderers. He left Brunton Park for Molineux at the end of 1964, making 90 appearances for Wolves. The most memorable of which for him was against an all-star Manchester United, where he scored two goals in the first five minutes. “I remember it was a half seven kick-off. I scored two in a couple of minutes and I looked at the clock and it read twenty-five-to and I thought: ‘Bloomin’ ‘eck, two-nothing up!’”

But it was always at Carlisle that he felt he belonged. “There are some places you go to and it might be nice, you might think it’s nice, but I’ve never lost the same feelings as I’ve got now from forty, or fifty years ago when I first came. It’s just the same. It’s just a nice place to be.”

Again, he puts this down to an overriding sense of morale. It isn’t something you can manufacture and it isn’t something that comes solely from the training ground. So how did he do it? McIlmoyle would often go out with his Carlisle teammates and strike up conversation with fans in the pub. “It got you out in the community but also got you that bonding. You were going out with your friends and you take that onto the pitch with you and it’s something that’s hard to break in.”

“I mean obviously they couldn’t do that now because…” He pauses, trying to think of the reason that’s stopping today’s Carlisle players from forming a closer bond with the fans. He gives up. “I don’t know why,” he sighs.

“They just live in a different world from what we did. We were working-class, whereas now they’re way above…I think that’s partly the bonding and another big thing – everybody lived in Carlisle, you know? The whole team, the manager, assistant manager, they lived in Carlisle. Whereas now, they come from the north, they come from Yorkshire, places like that.”

The problem Carlisle face now is their lack of confidence, and a team that seems to change every week – something McIlmoyle attests. “I go down to Carlisle nowadays and I don’t know who’s playing!” Now, with only a handful of games left for the Blues to fight relegation, it’s down to the fans to give the players something to fight for, because they’re going into games with their heads down. McIlmoyle has noticed this, too. “Individually, they’re not playing as well.”

“No,” he corrects himself. “I don’t mean not as well. When you get into a winning streak it’s good. You have bags of confidence obviously, but when you’re losing you get the opposite effect. I think that’s similar to what’s happening now, what actually happened halfway through the season when we were in the Premiership, the confidence went. And then, they started to buy players in and it just didn’t work out. Once you start losing it’s difficult to get out of it. It’s in your head.”

Hugh McIlmoyle is a footballer from a bygone era. Gone are the days of equal (not astronomical) wages, dropping into the local for a pint on a Wednesday evening, and the players painting the offices at the ground. Football nowadays is preoccupied with sports psychologists, everyday weigh-ins and money.

But if he’s anything, McIlmoyle certainly isn’t defeatist. With relegation a very real possibility, though, what does he honestly feel about United’s chances? “Down here [pats stomach] I think they’ll do it, but up here [points at head] I know it’s near enough impossible.”

McIlmoyle will remain a United hero for as long as Carlisle stays a football club, whatever the league. Forty years since reaching the First Division, he still considers it “the greatest thing they’ve done”.

“That’s always going to be there,” he smiles, “and you can’t take that away from them.”

Why Everyone Should Be Watching My Mad Fat Diary

E4’s My Mad Fat Diary is some very clever television.

From the outside, it looks simply like a comedy series centered around the cringeworthy antics of an overweight teenage girl. Which, to be fair, it is. Oasis-obsessed Rae Earl (Sharon Rooney) spends much of her time attempting to navigate her way through the typical problems that come with being a teenager – boys, popularity, boys, body image, and, erm, boys.

However, what sets it apart from other shows based on the awkwardness of adolescence, like, for example, Skins, is that My Mad Fat Diary is actually mental health education in disguise. This makes it both very smart and very important.

Right from the off, viewers are told that Rae has just spent four months in a psychiatric hospital. It’s unflinching in its portrayal of someone who is by no means recovered from a serious mental health issue, but who is also proof that it’s possible to be both that and the life and soul of a group of ‘normal’ people. So often in popular culture it’s one or the other and MMFD is welcomingly refreshing in its represention of mental illness. It should also be commended for not making Rae a wholly sympathetic character. It would be alarmingly easy to paint her as a victim, but on many occasions she’s really not a very nice person – which continues to remind audiences that she is just another human who’s sometimes rude, stubborn and argues with her mum.

Where it truly shines is in its clashing of Rae’s two lives. For every funny, brightly lit, energetic scene where she’s in a cafe or at a party surrounded by her friends Chloe, Izzy, Archie, Chop and Finn, there’s another one inside the quiet, beige walls of the hospital where she talks in confidence with her therapist Kester (Ian Hart) and shares her secrets, usually in the loos, with the heartbreakingly sweet Tix. It allows the audience to understand how difficult it must be for Rae to juggle these two juxtaposing parts of her life, but never attempts to paint one side as superior. While yes, of course being out with Chloe and Finn et al. is the preferable choice, it constantly reminds you that Rae is still a recovering patient, and sometimes the people she needs to be with most of all are the people, like Kester and Tix, who’ll understand the most.

Sharon Rooney is a revelation. Not only does the native Glaswegian nail her Lincolnshire accent (which can’t be easy), her portrayal of Rae is utterly, utterly compelling. Able to balance perfect comedy timing with the ability to play the unflinching reality of suicidal depression, Rae rises beyond just a struggling teenager and becomes the worthy idol for the 1-in-4 people who suffer with mental illness.

MMFD is painfully honest and seriously funny. Please, watch it because it makes you laugh, watch it because you relate to the characters, watch it because you want to understand…just watch it.

The second series of My Mad Fat Diary is currently airing on Mondays on E4.

Who Are The Guardians of the Galaxy?

The new trailer for Marvel’s first real departure from the Avengers timeline (X-Men remains debatable) hit the internet earlier this week and introduced us to a new bunch of super characters.

Set in the depths of space, Guardians of the Galaxy’s plot revolves around this so-called “bunch of A-holes” after Peter Quill steals a curious and powerful orb, catapulting him on an adventure with the fate of the universe at stake.

To make things nice and easy for everyone, here’s a quick guide to your new favourite bunch of Marvel heroes ahead of the film’s release on August 1^st.

Peter Quill/Star Lord (Chris Pratt)

“Peter Jason Quill. He’s also known as Star Lord. He’s wanted mostly on charges of minor assault, public intoxication and fraud.”

An American pilot and self-styled “legendary outlaw”, Quill is the leader of the group. Cocky and reckless but adept at problem solving, close quarter combat and well versed in intergalactic battle techniques, he’s not one to be underestimated.

Despite all that he still finds the time to hook up with “hot alien girls”, as actor Chris Pratt revealed. Think Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk crossed with Tony Stark.

Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista)

“Since his wife and family were killed he’s been on a rampage across the galaxy in his search for vengeance.”

After his family are killed by Thanos (the purple dude from the Avengers credits), human Arthur Douglas has his soul placed into a powerful new body and becomes Drax – hell bent on wreaking revenge on his family’s murderer.

With superhuman strength and an unnatural resilience to injury, Drax is a mean, green, fighting machine. Naturally then, he’s portrayed by WWE wrestler, martial artist and all-round badass Dave Bautista.

Gamora (Zoe Saldana)

“Soldier. Assassin. Wanted on over a dozen counts of murder.”

The adopted daughter of Thanos and therefore also linked to GotG’s big bads Ronan and Nebula, Gamora is attempting to go her own way in the galaxy. With strength, speed, agility and superb hand-to-hand combat abilities on her side, she simply gives a sly, and slightly menacing, smile when her rap sheet is read out.

Zoe Saldana plays the dagger-wielding, green-skinned, intergalactic bad girl and loves the fact Gamora “can kill you, but has a heart of gold.”

Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper)

“Wanted on over fifty charges of vehicular theft and escape from lock up.”

Where to begin with Rocket? Soon to be everyone’s new favourite character, this genetically engineered machine gun-toting raccoon is definitley not a cute and cuddly creature. Described by director James Gunn as “the heart of the movie, in a lot of ways”, pint-sized Rocket has some major anger issues to deal with.

And, if he’s not cool enough, he’s also voiced by Bradley Cooper.

Groot (voiced and mo-capped by Vin Diesel)

“He’s been travelling recently as Rocket’s personal house plant-slash-muscle.”

Gunn describes Groot as an “innocent”. The tree-like alien, played by action star Vin Diesel, is descended from an elite royal house, meaning he’s not just able to re-grow himself, but he’s an intelligent being too.

A shame then that the only thing he can say is his trademark: “I am Groot.”

If, by some strange circumstance, you haven’t seen the trailer yet, check it out below.

Rush: A Review

If you go to see Rush hoping to enjoy a two-hour biopic detailing James Hunt’s booze-swigging, sexed-up lifestyle – you’re going to be disappointed. Far from being simply the story of arguably the wildest Formula 1 driver to grace the sport, Rush is just as equally devoted to telling his racing rival Niki Lauda’s extraordinary tale.

Centered on the 1976 World Championship, Ron Howard’s return to the big screen is unflinching in its depiction of the extravagance and danger of F1 racing. It takes you to the parties and press conferences, puts you in the cars as they roar inches from each other and yet, somehow, still succeeds in handling the delicate subject of a driver’s mindset.

Chris Hemsworth is mesmerising as the brilliant but troubled Brit desperate for the drive. He juggles the alcohol-fuelled playboy role with that of the talented but unsettled driver with such skill you can’t help but admire and almost pity Hunt – a tricky task considering his less than saintly reputation.

You don’t have to be a huge fan of F1 to keep up, either. Peter Morgan’s script allows the audience to be pulled into the competition without feeling lost. Of course it does help to appreciate fast cars and the technicalities of racing – but it’s not a necessity. The sound of 25 cars revving in cinematic surround sound is enough to raise anyone’s heartbeat.

Despite being billed as the story of James Hunt, it’s Lauda who does the narrating – a decision that makes the film both gravitate towards the Austrian and also serve as a compliment to Hunt, who died in 1993 aged just 46. As notorious racing enemies, it’s truly touching to hear Lauda praise the driver in the closing monologue.

Daniel Brühl is outstanding as the Austrian; he’s cold, determined and utterly compelling. The film builds to his terrifying crash at the Nürburgring that left him close to death with severe facial burns – Brühl’s take on Lauda’s recovery earned praise from the famously distant driver himself. The crash and what follows is shocking and eye-watering to watch but Howard handles it with an honesty and respect that adds a hugely emotional punch to Lauda’s return just 40 days after the incident.

Rush is worthy of its Oscar buzz. A great cast, a great script – and a story that even those who don’t remember it happening can connect to – makes the film deserving of its praise. You know what happens, of course, but that doesn’t matter. As they say – it’s about the ride, not the destination.

And Rush is one a hell of a ride.

★★★★★

The World’s End: A Review

A trilogy is always going to be a difficult thing to conclude, especially when it’s the culmination of a triad of British cult successes. If you look at it that way, and bear in mind the pressure on scriptwriters and long-term collaborators Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright to deliver, you should admire The World’s End for its ballsy approach – this is a film that wants to go out with a bang, not a whimper.

TWE sees Pegg’s washed-up wannabe rock star Gary King reunite his four childhood friends in their hometown of Newton Haven. The aim? To finish an infamous pub crawl they failed to complete as teenagers. Unfortunately for the five musketeers, their attempt to best ‘The Golden Mile’ ends up being the last thing on all but one of their minds as they come under fire from an army of ink-filled invaders.

The gang, made up of Pegg, Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan work together, strangely enough, like they’ve been doing it for years. Their rapport with one another is flawless, though the film essentially, and predictably, boils down to the relationship between King and Nick Frost’s  much more successful Andrew Knightley. They are after all the bread and butter of this trilogy and the two you want to follow to the end. It’s also nice to see Pegg play the ‘loser’ role, giving the interplay between the two a fresh feel.

It’s an entertaining romp, and there are good jokes and some great cameos, but for all the action and effects unfortunately it just doesn’t feel as satisfying as Hot Fuzz or Shaun. It runs a bit like a movie written by people with other things on their plate – full of ambition but lacking in well-planned delivery. Even the big reveal, though funny, is disappointingly lacklustre.

Where it does succeed is in its handling of the surprisingly deep and poignant moments. Among the chaos it manages to pick at the heart of a common fear – that our lives peak as naïve, arrogant teenagers, and it never gets better. Eddie Marsan comes in as a newcomer to the world of Pegg/Frost/Wright but has perhaps the most heart-wrenching scene in the whole film, and it really packs a punch.

It does get a bit repetitive, but the choreography and Edgar Wright’s masterful crash zooms and camera work keep you from getting bored.

It’s an action-packed bit of cinema and the effects are impressive, but somewhere along the way it just starts to wobble and doesn’t manage to recover before the credits role. Still, Pegg, Frost and Wright shouldn’t worry. It’s their use of all comedy, from deadpan delivery to slapstick to typically British sarcasm, that really makes you laugh, and it’s what keeps The World’s End a strong finale to their now timeless ‘Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy’.

★★★

12 Women Who Could Play The Twelfth Doctor

Dame Helen Mirren, never one to sit quietly when things peturb her, hit the headlines on Wednesday after announcing that the new Doctor should be “gay, black and female”. With the BBC bigwigs yet to announce who will be taking over from Matt Smith, the gender of the twelfth Doctor is still a highly debatable subject – do they opt for another white man, or do they break fifty years of ‘tradition’ with the first female Time Lord?

Dame Helen Mirren

Now is surely the time for change aboard the TARDIS, so to help out those in charge of making the decision (showrunner Steven Moffat and BBC head honchos Danny Cohen, Ben Stephenson and Brian Minchin), here’s a list, in no particular order, of twelve women who could all play the twelfth incarnation of our favourite Gallifreyan.

1. DAME HELEN MIRREN

Why? Oscar-winner and British icon Helen Mirren has odds of 25/1 in her favour to take over from Smith. The 67-year-old would not only be the first woman, but the oldest actor to take on the part. Her tendency to play the austere characters (see: The Queen) means her Doctor could be Hartnell-stern, making a change from the puppy-like Ten and Eleven. Let’s be honest – it’s not likely to happen. But it would be good, wouldn’t it?

2. RUTH WILSON

Why? 31-year-old Wilson is the two-time Olivier award winner and BAFTA and Golden Globe nominee who rose to prominence thanks to her turn as the psychopathic Alice Morgan in Luther.
Turns as Jane Eyre and Stella in the Donmar Warehouse’s 2009 production of A Streetcar Named Desire mean she’s versatile, plus she has an army of fans on Tumblr all keen for her to nab the role.

Natalie Dormer

3. NATALIE DORMER

Why? Dormer has been cropping up everywhere lately, with roles in Elementary and Game Of Thrones. The Reading-born actress has been steadily making a name for herself since playing Anne Boleyn on The Tudors back in 2007/08, and is currently one of the most in-demand actresses both in the UK and across the pond. She’s also a talented fencer, and a poker fan, so she’s got physical and mental prowess on her side.

4. ZAWE ASHTON

Why? From the minute it was announced Matt Smith was leaving, Ashton (best known as Zod in Fresh Meat) has had her name thrown around. Could she be the first black female Doctor? The 29-year-old has an impressive TV CV, and her talent as a writer and poet means she’d have no problem wrapping her tongue around the techno-babble. Of all of these ladies, she seems the most likely to take the part.

Jessica Brown-Findlay

5. JESSICA BROWN-FINDLAY

Why? The ex-Downton Abbey actress has appeared in everything from Misfits and Black Mirror to the historical miniseries Labyrinth (alongside new ‘Doctor’ John Hurt). At 23, Brown-Findlay is certainly fresh-faced and is another fan favourite thanks to her turn as the sympathetic yet fiesty Lady Sybil.

6. OLIVIA COLMAN

Why? Just about the nation’s favourite actress right now, 39-year-old Colman has the talent to do heart-wrenching drama (Broadchurch, Tyrannosaur) and comedy (Hot Fuzz, Green Wing, Rev) with incredible ease – meaning the role of the conflicted but fun-loving Doctor may not be out of her reach.

Thandie Newton

7. THANDIE NEWTON

Why? Newton is nothing if not passionate – not only is she one of the UK’s most prolific black actresses, but she’s a keen advocate of political change and social equality and isn’t afraid to show it, appearing at 2007’s Live Earth concert and leading this year’s One Billion Rising event. This desire for positive change and acceptance are two key traits of the Doctor; Newton could lend her on and off-screen personas perfectly to the role.

8. JENNIFER SAUNDERS

Jennifer Saunders

Why? The multi-talented Saunders is another British treasure, having helped put female comedy on the map over the course of her career. She’s won three BAFTA awards and would be an excellent choice if the BBC fancy a funny, perhaps punk-esque Doctor with a typically British deadpan attitude.

9. LENORA CRICHLOW

Why? Despite the fact she’s already appeared in Doctor Who, playing Cheen in “Gridlock”, Crichlow is another actress whose name’s been linked to the part of the Time Lord (don’t forget previous companion Freema Agyeman also cropped up in an episode before taking a lead role). 28-year-old Crichlow has also starred in Being Human and Black Mirror, and is a familiar face in the British sci-fi circles.

Oona Chaplin

10. OONA CHAPLIN

Why? The granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin has most recently been playing Talisa Maegyr in Game Of Thrones. Before heading for Westeros, the 27-year-old appeared in three of the BBC’s biggest programmes – Spooks, The Hour and Sherlock. Clearly unafraid of a bit of action and fantasy, Chaplin is the wildcard if you were thinking of placing a bet.

11. LILY LOVELESS

Why? It seems like there’s an inevitability for Skins actors to end up on Doctor Who eventually (Joe Dempsie and Will Merrick have previously appeared), and Loveless could be no exception. The actress and dancer who played lesbian Naomi Campbell has also previously appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures, linking her to the Whoniverse.

Tilda Swinton

12. TILDA SWINTON

Why? Tilda Swinton has everything – an eclectic CV, a flair for unusual roles, her androgynous style and some really great hair. The 52-year-old could pull off any outfit and still look amazing, and her talent as an actress across all genres would guarantee a Time Lord as changeable as a chameleon.

Despite this list being in no particular order – please BBC? Please?!