Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are one of the greatest teams to come out of comedy in quite some time. A sort of modern-day Monty Python, they previously created the films “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.” Now, with “The World’s End,” they have completed what is known as the Three Colors Cornetto Trilogy. Although not technically set in the same world, the three films all share similar elements. They are each a parody of a popular genre, poking fun at various unbelievable elements of those films. They are each written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, and are directed by Wright. And every one of them is hilariously brilliant.

Much like “Shaun of the Dead” was a parody of the zombie or monster film, and “Hot Fuzz” was similar to the buddy cop genre; “The World’s End” is itself a parody of the disaster or end-of-the-world epic, where a team of friends fight for survival amidst ensuing chaos. But rarely is the end of the world this much fun.

Gary King (Simon Pegg) is a 40-year-old self-destructive, sarcastic alcoholic. In order to bring back some nostalgia, he decides to round up his old friends and set out to his hometown of Newton Haven. When they were younger, they attempted to make it through the “Golden Mile,” a pub crawl in Newton Haven that encompasses 12 bars. However, they never made it past the 6th pub, much to Gary’s disappointment. So, after much prodding and manipulation, he finally convinces all of his old friends to come along for the ride.

Rarely does a group of archetypal personalities blend more perfectly together. There is the uptight, stringent Andy Knightley (Nick Frost), the confident businessman Oliver Chamblerlain (Martin Freeman), the shy, reserved Peter Page (Eddie Marsan), and the unhappily-divorced Steven Prince (Paddy Considine). Each plays in opposition to the immature Gary King, who has grown only in looks since his early days, preferring to remain in a child-like mindset rather than live in the real world like his friends.

Of course, we know that there is more at work here than just old friends revisiting their hometown. From the start, we see what should be typical everyday occurrences: couples walk hand-in-hand down the street, friends walk alongside one another on the way to the pub, bartenders serve draft beer out of taps. It all seems just too perfect. Too normal.

Once we grasp the first sign that something is amiss, “The World’s End,” which could have easily become a cliched parody film, instead turns to full-out exhilarating chaos. There are some lines here that are destined to become quotable classics, and some scenes that are worth an instant replay.  The fight scenes between the five friends and the alien-like beings are extremely well-choreographed. During one scene, Gary jumps and swings around a bar, dodging incoming punches, while simultaneously attempting to finish his beer, since he has to drink at least one in each bar. Talk about flawed priorities! Even when being attacked by a swarming army of blue-blooded aliens, Gary will not halt progress on the “Golden Mile,” which has now become his sole purpose in life.

The climax of the film features our broken-down hero, finally admitting his flaws and his mistakes in life. The tone here switches so drastically, it’s easy to forget that we were just watching a comedy. But then we hear a booming alien voice, which explains the purpose of the aliens. The scene is straight out of every dystopian future work, with some homages to authors like George Orwell. Yet, done in the manner of these guys, the conversation here is sidesplittingly funny, in a manner that, once and for all, sealed the film’s fate. So whether its epic fight-scenes, funny character exchanges, or serious confessions; “The World’s End” never lets up for a second. It’s hard not to revere at such fantastic writing.

Coming from a long string of average summer disaster flicks, the greatest has finally emerged. You can be sure of one thing: these guys aren’t going away anytime soon. Comedy, thy name is Edgar Wright.