This Is the End Review

Rated R (Crude and Sexual Content Throughout, Brief Graphic Nudity, Pervasive Language, Drug Use and Some Violence)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 47 Minutes

Cast (as themselves)-

Seth Rogen

Jay Baruchel

James Franco

Jonah Hill

Craig Robinson

Danny McBride

Michael Cera

Emma Watson

Aziz Ansari

Kevin Hart

Robyn 'Rihanna' Fenty

Mindy Kaling

David Krumholtz

Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Paul Rudd

Jason Segel

Martin Starr

Channing Tatum

Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

Imagine spending the apocalypse with these guys!

Note: Screened on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at Regal Union Square Stadium 14.

2012 called, they want their apocalypse back! Despite numerous claims from fringe groups that the Earth would suffer a cataclysmic event on December 21 last year, the day went by with nary an incident but Hollywood's obsession with the end times keeps on going like the Energizer Bunny, with three post-apocalyptic films being released over a three month period, culminating with Edgar Wright's "The World's End" in August. The first to arrive (in limited release) is "Rapture-Palooza" on June 7th and not even a week later, we have the high-profile comedy "This is the End." Based on a little-seen, 2007 nine-minute short titled "Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse" (which stars, you guessed it, Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel), the film has been drawing a lot of attention due to the large amount of celebrity cameos, with the central premise revolving around the main cast playing exaggerated versions of themselves while faced with a literal apocalypse. A project like this could either go very wrong or very right and I'm glad to say that it's NOT the former. Hilariously self-deprecating, vulgar, and surprisingly poignant, "This is the End" is poised to become not only the funniest comedy of the summer but dare I say, the year as well.

Arriving from Montreal, Jay Baruchel has come to Los Angeles to visit his old buddy Seth Rogen in an effort to rekindle their friendship. After spending the day smoking weed and playing video games, Rogen suggests going to James Franco's housewarming party in Hollywood Hills but Baruchel is resistant to the idea as he is uncomfortable with hanging around Rogen's new Tinseltown friends. He reluctantly decides to tag along when Rogen promises he'll stay with him the whole night. The party is already in full swing when they arrive at Franco's newly-furnished home and in an attempt to bridge the gap between Baruchel and his more famous buddies, Rogen encourages his old friend to mingle with the guests, which includes Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Emma Watson, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, and a coked-out Michael Cera. Baruchel unfortunately fails to connect with anyone and he decides to go for a cigarette run with Rogen. While perusing the candy aisle, beams of blue light suddenly shoot down from the sky and start randomly abducting people. A frightened Rogen and Baruchel rush back to Franco's home, just as a massive earthquake hits L.A. and forms a giant sinkhole that swallows up many of the party's guests. With the apocalypse seemingly upon them, Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Hill, Robinson, and an uninvited Danny McBride try to survive as rations slowly dwindle and tensions start running high.

Not since last summer's "Ted" have I laughed so hard in a theater! This year hasn't exactly been kind to comedy films, with "A Haunted House," "Movie 43," "Identity Thief," and "The Hangover Part III" all receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. "This is the End," which marks Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's directorial debuts, finally breaks that trend, delivering a comedy that will leave every audience member guffawing in their seats until their insides hurt. The film starts off on an innocuous note as Rogen picks up Baruchel at the airport while a paparazzo annoys him about doing his trademark laugh. Although Baruchel was looking forward to spending the day with Rogen, he's soon dragged to James Franco's housewarming party in Hollywood Hills. This is where the majority of the celebrity cameos take place (which has already been spoiled by the previews) and by far the most memorable one is Michael Cera's, who has a little "Superbad" reunion with Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Hopped up on cocaine, Cera ends up getting bitch-slapped by Rihanna after he grabs her buttocks and later, Baruchel finds him in the bathroom while he's getting orally serviced by two women as he sucks on a Juicy Juice with a hilariously deadpan expression on his face! The party culminates with Craig Robinson singing Take Yo Panties Off but before the fun can continue, a massive earthquake rocks Los Angeles, leaving Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Hill, Robinson, and later McBride as the sole survivors.

The laughs begin to pile on and yes, the film is essentially just a bunch of sketches loosely stitched together. Although it does feel somewhat bloated despite the relatively short running time, each of the set-ups gets more outrageous then the last, from a drug-induced haze set to Psy's Gangnam Style to the entire group participating in a "Pineapple Express" sequel, complete with extremely low production values and Jonah Hill filling in for Woody Harrelson. What makes "This is the End" such a success is the all-star cast where each member is playing fictionalized versions of themselves, with some degree of their actual personality thrown in to inform their performances. James Franco plays up his public persona as a pretentious douche, filling his mansion with gaudy artwork and even a giant stuffed phallus. He even keeps all the props from his films as he arms himself with a World War I pistol leftover from "Flyboys." Jonah Hill is the suspiciously ultra-sweet guy (America's sweetheart he calls himself) who seems awfully concerned about Jay's well-being while Craig Robinson sticks with his big cartoon personality. Rogen and Baruchel form the 'heart' of the film and what's interesting about their friendship is the way it comments on the nature of being a celebrity. Eschewing the excessive Hollywood lifestyle of Rogen and his new friends, Baruchel functions as the audience's stand-in and he's the first to suspect the true nature of the apocalypse happening around him. I won't spoil what it is but it does bring up some heavy themes about what kind of person you really are when you're an actor or actress living in your own bubble. When that bubble bursts and you find yourself coming up short as a person, what do you do with the time you have left? At one point, Robinson proclaims that 'we just get paid to act like we're hard…but we're not! We're soft! We're soft as baby sh*t!' Even though they're all kind of bratty, their effort to change themselves in a positive way makes them endearing and adds a sense of poignancy since the story is ultimately a reaffirmation of their strong friendship with each other.

Except Danny McBride, of course. The "Eastbound & Down" actor is his usual abrasive self, allowing him to shake up the group dynamic with his aggressive demeanor. Most of the conflict revolves around his cavalier attitude, providing a nice balancing act with the other's attempts to behave responsibly. McBride is pretty much saying, 'F*ck it, it's the apocalypse so I'm gonna do whatever I want and no one is gonna stop me.' This leads to some hilarious verbal exchanges, including one where he and Franco literally explode at each other regarding their masturbation habits! For the most part, Rogen and Goldberg keep the action confined to Franco's house and what's impressive is the way they maximize that limited space to create one funny sequence after another. The outside world does occasionally intrude and an example would be Emma Watson's much-advertised cameo where she threatens the men with a fire ax and metaphorically castrates them by taking all their food. The last twenty minutes gets so ridiculous that you have to see it to believe it, with exorcisms, demons with Biblical-sized genitalia (impressive special effects despite the really small production budget), surprise cameos, and an appearance from a 90's boy band!

To be released on June 12, 2013, "This is the End" has been receiving positive reviews so far. If it keeps in line with most recent comedies, expect a final tally around the mid-70's on Rotten Tomatoes. Given the film's high-concept premise and its famous cast, box office success is all but assured, even with "Man of Steel" competing on the same weekend. Audience reception at the advance screening was incredibly enthusiastic. If you dislike sophomoric, vulgar humor, then "This is the End" isn't for you but for everyone else, I doubt you'll have a more fun time at the movies this year.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"I'm sorry, we just don't know you, man. You could be like a looter or a rapist or a titti-f*cker…"