"This Is the End" Review

Grab your best buds and batten down the hatches, for The End is nigh.

In This Is the End, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride and a bevy of other celebrities gather for a housewarming party at James Franco's new pad. When the festivities are disrupted by apocalyptic events, Rogen, Baruchel, Hill, Franco, Robinson and McBride find themselves trapped inside the house with limited supplies, let alone each other. Eventually the gang is forced out into the open world of a decimated Los Angeles, where they face their fears and learn the true meanings of friendship and redemption.

This Is the End marks the first foray into directing for writing/creative duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad), and they did a splendid job. The screenplay delivers one gut-busting punchline after another and even includes a few unexpected scares. Rogen and Goldberg deserve credit for maneuvering through several horror movie cliches while still keeping the mood fresh and funny. The scares are effective, but the film never loses its lighthearted focus. That's a quality that the very best horror-comedies (like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland) are known for.


Not much can be said about the acting performances because the stars all portray themselves. Seth Rogen stars as Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel stars as Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill stars as Jonah Hill and so on. All the actors involved (save maybe Rihanna and Emma Watson) comprise a large number of today's top comedic talents. The laughs come easy thanks to their presence alone. No matter how sophomoric the humor is, be it arguing over McBride's masturbation habits or Hill's nightmarish encounter with a well-endowed demon from Hell, it's hard not to chuckle at the very least. By the time the credits started to roll, my face hurt from smiling and laughing so much.

This Is the End is especially entertaining for its self-deprecating, satirical sense of humor. Actors portraying themselves as characters while cleverly commenting on the public's fascination with Hollywood stars and their high-end lifestyle lends this comedy a brain to go along with the funny bone. It's refreshing to see these big stars take shots at each other and refusing to take themselves or their work too seriously.

Along with the brain and funny bone, This Is the End has a heart as well, with a major plot point revolving around the pursuit of divine salvation. The guys put aside themselves and go for many genuine acts of kindness and brotherly love after venturing out of Franco's house. This leaves the audience with that romantic "awwwww" feeling but never feels especially mushy thanks to the film's edgy humor which persists right up until the moment the credits start. Guys, see this with a group of close, platonic male friends because you'll want to hug each other in that "I-love-you-bro" way afterwards.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's This Is the End marks the duo's first feature as a directing team. It's clear that the two have an impeccable comedic rapport based on the story they've created here and the heart, brain, and funny bone inherent therein. Aside from a few shoddy visual effects shots and one or two sex jokes that go a bit too far, This Is the End still serves as a consistently hilarious, engaging and entertaining horror-comedy. This is the chaser that washes out the bad taste that The Hangover 3 left in our mouths and is easily the best comedy of the year so far.

9/10