Disaster movies have threatened the world in every way from alien invasion to zombie attacks. In all versions of the apocalypse, we’ve seen everything except friends bringing humor to their demise. This Is The End makes the apocalypse a laughing matter and a visually unforgettable one.
Written by actor Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, Superbad) and longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg (Pineapple Express, Superbad), This Is The End throws a group of friends together for a party. The apocalypse begins, without warning, forcing them to face it and each other.
The only thing about this group is they’re all famous actors, playing versions of themselves. That instantly makes this movie more appealing than the same group playing characters or a cast of unknowns on screen.
Seth Rogen and his famous friends Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street), Jay Baruchel (Tropic Thunder), Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down), and Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine) partying in James Franco’s (Spider-Man trilogy) house is enough to get any comedy fan to watch. Nothing is off limits as jokes are made about these guys’ real lives.
Seth Rogen is teased about The Green Hornet movie while Jonah Hill’s (Money Ball) Oscar nomination is brought up. Craig Robinson carries a towel because he sweats so much (something he really talked about on Conan O’Brien), and James Franco is painted as a weird guy with too much man love for Seth.
Everyone from Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Emma Watson and Channing Tatum are on screen long enough to do something insanely funny. Michael Cera steals the show, deciding to go far away from his usual awkward persona to a coked up sex addict. He hits on everyone at the party, slaps Rihanna’s ass and loses his mind.
This Is The End is still an armageddon movie and does a terrific job at it. The film budget of $25,000,000 is a lot for a comedy but must have all gone to special effects. The various creatures and demons that chase these guys around are straight up terrifying.
The movie takes on a Ghostbusters vibe with funny moments during legitimate scares. It’s a better scary movie than the entire franchise that goes by that name, and a lot funnier.
The horror scenes actually get pretty disturbing and could have been a bit shorter. For a movie filled with dick jokes, the creepy stuff just lingers too long.
Danny McBride also became unlikable and wasted by the end of the movie. For a guy known for playing lovable jerk, Kenny Powers, he just came off as a mean weirdo. You almost want him to die before it’s over.
The actors seem to enjoy making this and a lot of the best dialogue feels ad-libbed. The soundtrack is great, including Craig Robinson singing a song about panties and the return of a 90s pop act that you could never guess. This Is The End proves that as long as you’re having fun, even facing the apocalypse, there’s always something to laugh at.
Rating 8.0/10
