Columbia Pictures, Mandate Pictures, and Point Grey Pictures present This Is the End. Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Washington, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, and Emma Watson. Directed by Evan Goldberg and Rogen. Written by Rogen and Goldberg, based on their 2007 short film "Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse." Cinematography by Brandon Trost. 107 minutes. Rated 'R' for crude and sexual content throughout, brief graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use, and violence.
Seth Rogen and company have beaten Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and their comedy/horror troupe by two months' release time for a comic version of the apocalypse. This will probably work towards This Is the End's box office advantage. But with Rogen's wildly uneven filmography, could he and his co-conspirators make a movie that successfully appeals to dark humor lovers?
The answer is a qualified "yes." The loose premise is that all the actors are playing fictionalized versions of themselves (one hopes), and are generally on their worst behavior in facing the end times. Rogen picks up Canadian Jay Baruchel from LAX, presumably for some buddy and male bonding time, but eventually drags Baruchel to a wild, celebrity-filled party at James Franco's mansion. What starts happening outside the bacchanal is the filmmakers' version of the Rapture. Those left behind face fire, massive earthquakes, and demons that walk the Earth.
Of course, the comedian party animals are left behind and don't fend for themselves too well. Each are guilty of escalating outrages, particularly Danny McBride, with Michael Cera receiving a dishonorable mention. The usually mild-mannered and quiet Cera is particularly a good sport in this film, doing a couple of simulated acts that could shock anyone.
In several scenes, the movie delivers the laughs. Rogen and Baruchel's argument about gluten-free diets is a comic gem. Parodies of horror movie cliches such as false scares and exorcisms are on target, such as a night scene where an ever-growing group of grown men uncomfortably snuggle up together out of fear. And the cast's exaggerated send-up of themselves works as a whole.
Yet even at 107 minutes, the film is still too long. Even though several set pieces are quite funny, the last half hour feels like this premise was based on a shorter film skit, which it was. As an audience member, you can feel the clock ticking and the passable special effects padding the stretched-out climax. Also, how many dick and scatological jokes can one tell and still be funny? Rogen and Goldberg must think quite a few.
Even with its flaws, for those who like their humor on the dark side and don't mind having their sensibilities offended, This Is the End offers an entertaining night at the movies. For those who use the term "off color humor," the film offers consolation that they will not be left behind, but they should leave this film behind.
My rating: *** out of ****.
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