This Is The End
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson
Directed By: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Reviewed by Danielle Muir
[rating: 3.5/5]
Seth Rogen’s directorial debut should be consumed with a bottle of jack in one hand, an illicit substance in the other and surrounded by like-minded bros. This Is the End thrives on its winning formula – established hilarious actors parodying themselves, locked in a house whilst a well-endowed devil roams outside revelling in the apocalypse.
The structure is simple – intro, drug trip, apocalypse, improv, slo-mo drug trip, cameo, improv etc. but how the actors have chosen to play themselves is what makes cogs turn smoothly. None of them seem to have strayed too far from reality (apart from a cameo from bitchy manwhore Michael Cera, or he could be like that who knows…) – Jay Baruchel has landed in LA and is insecure about best friend Seth Rogen’s relationship with a diamond studded Jonah Hill. James Franco’s just constructed the king of all bachelor pads and throws a housewarming – as a silky smooth Craig Robinson croons on his keyboard, all hell (pardon the pun) breaks loose. Oh yeah and Danny McBride is in there playing a class A jerk.
The film banks on the fact that if you throw funny people into a room (in this case James Franco’s uber-mansion) and let them loose, then so the film shall be. Despite a few overlong monologues this gamble pays off – their improvisation coupled with the fact they’re playing themselves pushes their dialogue into hilarity.
Whilst in the house the boys cope by smoking jays, tripping balls, sending each other out on missions for supplies and riffing entertaining dialogue all the while. Also there’s an amusing cameo by an axe-laden Emma Watson who almost nails the funny but falls slightly short. The turning point comes when one of the unfortunate lads is possessed exorcist style and then people either drop like flies or become ‘saved’ and beamed to the heavens.
To be honest everything about this film is bloody ridiculous, but the good kind of ridiculous that makes you burst out laughing due to a mix of shock and decent humour. Some of the best moments come from the all-star cameos (poor old Jason Segel takes a dive into the pit of fiery hell) and the sheer random nature of events coupled with a ‘that escalated quickly’ plotline. Luckily, the gamble of throwing funny men into a locked room to be funny has paid off.
