Film Review – THIS IS THE END

This Is The End as a title is by no means merely a clever metaphor for the ride the film takes you on. To say the world is going to hell in a handbasket is an understatement, and if you must ring in the apocalypse, why not ride out all the fire and brimstone with you best buddies at James Franco’s house?

This Is The End really takes you Kingdom Come, and you’ll laugh your ass off the whole way there. Co-written and co-directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the hilarious high concept film finds the fun and seamless ensemble cast of Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride and Jonah Hill playing “themselves” as they fight to survive at the End of Days as only successful pompous paid Hollywood actors possibly would.

There are a few ground rules for optimal enjoyment. You should to be a fan of all the leads and the large cameo heavy supporting cast. A generous knowledge of their collective IMDB pages is a huge plus to truly appreciate how each actor connects professionally. To possess an edgy sense of humor is also a must. The film earns its R rating for language content alone. Which lets these guys roar wild with loose lips on their situations and each other.

As we begin our faux reality story, Jay Baruchel is in LA visiting his buddy Seth Rogen, and is later convinced to partake in potential night of fun instead of laying low. During a wild Hollywood party at James Franco’s lavish house, literally all Hell breaks loose on a Biblical level. But not before we are treated to cameos from countless familiar faces from other projects the main cast have shared the big and small screen with throughout the Apatow-verse.

Though it should be noted, following her memorable cameo here, Emma Watson would make a welcome future addition to the troupe in my book.

With rampant earthquakes, explosions and fiery abysses leading to Hell popping up everywhere, the surviving funny men are trapped in Franco’s house left with scant food and water rations, and possess collective skills that would not get them beyond a day on Survivor, much less the fall of man. With nobody left but each other, it’s a battle of wits and each other to tough it out.

The first half hour alone boasts a machine gun pace of gags, offensive jokes, rants and one of a kind priceless moments i.e., what happens when a coked up Michael Cera slaps Rihanna squarely on the ass. The first act party scene is worth the price of admission alone. There are attempts to top it, but This Is The End wisely keeps you guessing by switching gears, turning into a survivalist test of backstabbing within the house. The third act throws the already insane narrative completely on its ass all over again. Much like the genre bending Joss Whedon-penned The Cabin In The Woods, there comes a point you are asked, ahem forced, to throw out all rhyme and reason and just go along with the fact that they are actually taking you whole hog on this trip.

What this film has really going for it is the job from the ensemble cast. You never once doubt that the onscreen team on the screen are a bunch of real life Hollywood chums who are just having a blast with each other shooting this passion project. The quick wit meaty improved exchanges never come off as forced dialogue memorized off a page. The amount and extent of self deprecating humor is refreshing and has hilarious results. No career is safe, everyone’s dirty laundry is laid out there. Although everyone is playing an exaggerated version of themselves, Danny McBride really gets to dig gloriously deep into his inner asshole and have a field day tearing into a his co-stars form their career lows, personal lives and their worst rumors from the sewers of TMZ. Frankly some of the quips in the film roll of their tongues so easily its almost as if they’ve been waiting to get an outlet to vent on each other for years. But McBride is a damn Jedi master at it.

The more in the Hollywood know you are the better. Sure there are the broad stroke Harry Potter jokes at the expense of Emma Watson, but if subtle jabs at Flyboys, Your Highness and Pineapple Express may not be on your pop culture radar, you may wanna consider what you’re in for in addition top the brutally raw dialogue

Its brilliance is its boldness and perceived on-screen honesty. It will find immortality on weekend cable reruns, if they could ever clean it up enough for TBS (which will be a challenge for basic cable censors) and has many quotable moments. You can tune in at any point and just enjoy the insane ride from there. The cameos are fun and plentiful (the headcount is damned impressive), and you wish there was more time given to each minor player. And again, a untapped goldmine in not getting more scenes for Emma Watson.