This Is the End - Review

I can not accurately say that THIS IS THE END is the funniest movie about the apocalypse; that acclaimed title will probably fall to the "That's Armageddon!" short from THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE. But it is a riotous comedy amid the riots of people running for cover and safety from a wide range of dangers and creatures spawned by the end of days. This ultra-form of black humor is easily digestible for sensible stomaches thanks to its rich cast of comedic actors, all of whom are technically playing a version of themselves. So, when a flock of celebrities are killed off in one fell swoop or picked off one by one, you can feel at ease that this is another diabolical yet funny swipe at the vapidness of Hollywood and the dark history of Los Angeles.


Jay Baruchel flies into LAX to hang out with his best buddy Seth Rogen for the weekend. Not to keen with the pretentious nature of the city or rubbing elbows with fellow actors, Jay is dragged along to a party being held by James Franco. Though he's fine with Jay's presence, Franco clearly wants to usurp his bond to Rogen and be closer in their friendship. In other words, Franco wants Rogen to be a freak like him and leave Jay at the table of geeks. Massive disasters and unexplainable phenomenons occur, eliminating many of the glorious cameos present at the party, leaving the three plus Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride to fend for themselves. That is, if they can get off their lazy asses and come up with life-saving plans beyond making a sequel to PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and deciding who gets the lone surviving Snickers bar.


The vast majority of the jokes relish on the past acting history of the main characters, most often being their famous failures. So, if you don't get the snickering at the presence of a prop from FLYBOYS, you're missing out on a lot of the material. Though this insular nature will be off-putting for many of the general audience, the film works because of the clearly seen commitment and camaraderie between the actors, as they follow the script and direction by Rogen and Evan Goldberg or improvise with distinct flair. I can't really exposit more about this film without giving away more of its surprises, from the veiled gags from the cameos to the kill order to the unexpected finale. Take a chance on it, regardless of your level of encyclopedic knowledge of the gang's history together, and you might find yourself laughing at their cruel pain.



FINAL REVIEW: 3 / 5