So what is The Cornetto or Blood and Ice Cream trilogy about?
To embark on the answer, I waded through all three movies and make my head in comparison.
The three movie are not connected by plot, but by actor and 'themes'. But what themes?
Well, there's the Cornetto and the wall jump. There's the sense of the two buddies played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost with mirage of returning players like Martin Freeman and Bill Nighy.
But I see much more in that quick-pace cut of Edgar Wright style montage. First of all, this is about a man in a 'fantastical' situation. First one, the man is thrust upon it; Second one, the man actively avoids it till it's (almost) too late; Third one, the actively seeks it, although he gets more than he can ask for.
But there's the sense of us vs. masses conflict as well: Zombies in 'Shaun of the Dead', The Villagers in 'Hot Fuzz', and The Blanks in 'The World's End.' With the intention, except for the zombies although you could make an argument there, of greater peace and unity. All three antagonist asks us to be part of them and embrace their ideals. But as the end of the third movie suggest, humanity is too stubborn and angry for that. Even if there's zombies all around, the elders shooting people blank or fantastic tempting robots, the problem still remains for the group, one with their ideals and selfishness in check.
Some say, the movies give a pessimistic view of the world, where anarchy reign supreme and one would better begging in the street than mindlessly joining a society. But the fact is that the 'problem' isn't removed. They are still zombies in end of "The Shaun of the Dead", the village and its village are mostly intact in the end of "Hot Fuzz" and the The Blanks still live out their lives in the apocalyptic end of "The World's End". All three posit that the inherent idea of zombies or the village or The Blanks is not bad, it's the force of joining that is the evil there.
If the fear of being a zombie, or mandate of being the perfect village, or the desire to create a perfect robotic utopia is gone, the things antagonized don't need to be anymore. In the end, zombie are engulfed and ignored, the village seemingly forgets its past and continue on nonchalantly and The Blanks are even celebrated! Most people would be ribbed by the notion of quick heel-face turn... but the message of the trilogy is this. 'To err is human, to forgive divine." And that's what every critic, such as I, will strive for.
