How It Ended: After learning that his home town of Newhaven is actually one of thousands of "penetration points" used by an alien race called "The Network" (who are attempting to take hold of Earth) once-popular loser Gary King (Simon Pegg) finds himself coming face to face with the powers that be: that is, a giant sentient thing voiced by Bill Nighy. He's given a choice: stay young forever, or let the world end. Alongside his old school mates, he decides that human beings should not be controlled, and the world is sent back to the Middle Ages. Admist the ruins of the planet, Gary becomes the leader of a band of robots - who all look like his younger friends - and declares himself "The King." How It Should Have Ended: According to writer/director Edgar Wright (and leading man Simon Pegg), the ending to this movie should be seen as a happy one: Gary is finally accepted again, and gets to spent the rest of his days in a way that suits him - surrounded by his old friends, who remind him of better times. But there's something inherently sour about this ending, as it renders Gary as a character who can't get a grip on reality, and is content to spent the rest of his life hanging with companions who just aren't real. It's a purposely controversial ending, sure, but it's oddly mean-spirited. A better - and more appropriate - ending, then? How about in the wake of the apocalypse, Gary is able to find strength as the leader of the last remaining humans? His experiences over the course of the film, and his coming to terms with his lot in in life, meant that he was in a good place to grow and change by the time the credits rolled. He gained some added respect from his former classmates and friends - it would have been nice for him to have been able to move on from the past, instead of purposely dooming himself to live on as an outsider.
