The "Three Flavours Cornetto" Trilogy

Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is something very, very special. It isn't often that a movie series gets it 100% perfect, scores a perfect 10, from its fist installment to its last. Plenty of film sagas have come close, but there's always something a tad awry in the overall execution: an actor gets replaced by another, a storyline gets bungled, one of the sequels is sub-par, and so on and so forth. Needless to say, there's usually something that doesn't quite work.

But not here. And that's what's so spectacular. In the "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy, we have a cinematic hat trick. Starting with 2004's Shaun of the Dead, to Hot Fuzz in 2007, and finally The World's End which opened in American theaters two weeks ago, we have been given a slice of the sublime. These are three supremely satisfying movies, which perfectly balance humor, wit, heart, and everything in between. They are classified as a "loose" trilogy, meaning the installments have no interlocking plots and characters, but share close similarities in other ways (they are built by the same production team, inhabited by the same actors, specific jokes and scenes make appearances in each film, and yes, who can forget Frost's cornetto leaving its grand impression on each one). However, this is the tightest "loose" trilogy I've ever seen. It's a kaleidoscope of interconnecting jokes, references, and archetypes. They fit snugly alongside one another, resonating like a major chord on a grand piano. There is no dissonance, no bum key - just pure harmony. Let me tell you about each one.

- Shaun of the Dead (2004): At a glance, the premise is simple, juvenile, uninspired. A comedy with zombies? How original. Yet it's this underestimation that grants the film (all three of these films, actually) it's first of many pleasant surprises. The writing on display here is superb. Turns of phrases, humorous subtleties, plot twists: they all have their place in Shaun of the Dead. The performances are equally marvelous, particularly Simon Pegg, who steals the show in the film's title role. He's a lovable loser - the guy you always fear you'll become: apathetic, unmotivated, stuck in that same boring 9-to-5 job you've had since high school. It's a touching performance, realistic and hilarious.

The movie's true triumph, however, is the skillful direction of Edgar Wright (who directs all of these films, actually). Scenes depicting mundane human behavior drift by, infusing them with a zombie-like quality. Visual gags and careful comic timing take center stage. Every scene hums with an efficient poetry. This is truly a film for the eyes, spattered with red and basking in saturated colors. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll cry. What more can you ask for?

- Hot Fuzz (2007): Without batting an eye, with nary a thought otherwise, Hot Fuzz is my absolute favorite buddy-cop movie. Period. After just the first ten minutes, my stomach ached with laughter. Really. This might even be my personal favorite entry in the trilogy, but it's hard to say. I know that I quote this one the most ("...he's not Judge Judy and executioner!"), that I find myself constantly ready to pop it in the DVD player and give it another watch, that I placed it on my "125 Best Films of All-Time" list and will defend it against naysayers high and low...

Yup. This is my favorite.

...it's just...so...good. The dialogue is hysterical, the mystery is intriguing, the action is fantastic, and the acting is terrific. A frothy chemistry bubbles about the characters, notably between our brazen hero Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) and bumbling "policeman-officer" Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). These characters are portrayed with equal parts cynicism and conviction, which allows the parody and the drama to remain in tact. This truly is a great movie. Silly yet sad, hilarious and heartfelt, you'll laugh until you cry (and sometimes even the other way around). It's awesome.  

- The World's End (2013): Finally, fittingly, for our grand conclusion, is The World's End. Fans had to wait quite a while for this one (Wright took a short reprieve after Hot Fuzz in order to direct the equally impressive Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), and expectations were high. Thankfully, this final installment delivers. It's funny, unique, introspective, tinged with melancholia - it fits in all the classic traits this trilogy has to offer and more.

In addition to the acting (Pegg and Frost are spectacular, as always), the movie's best attribute is its visual artistry. The sets are all lovingly constructed, with meticulous care and mindful design. The small-town imagery is quaint and three-dimensional. Perhaps most stunning of all are the "blanks," those villainous hordes jogging down moonlit streets, eyes wide and mouths agape, an unearthly blue light screaming out from within. These images aren't soon forgotten. They stick with you long after the end credits are over and the theater has faded in your rear-view mirror.

...just like this entire trilogy, actually. These three films leave a mark. They make you laugh as well as lament, cringe as well as cry. They are three of the best movies of the last twenty years, and have accomplished this not by conforming to rigid Hollywood archetypes but by transcending them - parodying the very films they celebrate, deepening our cultural consciousness by adding weight and emotion to mundane cinematic conventions.

Entertaining, intellectual, and artistic. The Holy Trinity of film. A Holy Trinity of films.

Fantastic.