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There’s a
hot party
on at Franco’s house. Seth Rogan, Rihanna, Jonah Hill, Danny Mcbride,
Michael
Cera, Jason Segel and that Hermione chick are all there. The music is
loud and
there’s a bunch of other actors you seen in indie, action and A-List
pics.
Everyone’s having a good time (especially Cera) and getting loose. So
it’s a
real bummer that it happens on the same night as the apocalypse, right?
Yes,
that’s the plot for This Is the End,
famous actors (some more so than others), playing themselves in the
Hollywood
party at the end of the world. In a very cheeky maneuver, this emerging
Hollywood comedy brat pack play exaggerated versions of themselves.
They also
invite some of their friends along for this ride on the highway to
hell.
Despite this preposterous nature of the idea and the possibility of it
damaging
not only the boy’s egos but their careers, the film is actually funny.
Mostly.
Between
the
assembled cast, they have lodged up quite a few hours in front of the
camera and
making people laugh across the world. While it’s not always highbrow
comedy,
they are genuinely funny guys given the right script. While I’m sure
they all
stand to make a pretty penny of this flick, this film is a real treat
for fans
of Knocked up, Superbad, Pineapple
Express
and Eastbound and Down. It’s pretty
safe to say, if you've liked this cast in their previous work, you’ll get a
kick
out of this film. The party at Franco’s goes for long enough to setup
some
exaggerated “real life” versions of the actors. Franco is chilled out
but talks
about his movies a lot, McBride is an idiot, Jonah Hill is quite funny
as an
over the top sensitive nice guy who wants everyone to get a long,
Michael Cera
is a crude Hollywood idiot, Seth Rogan plays Seth Rogan, Craig Robinson
is the
party man, Jay Baruchelis the new kid in town and he’s uncomfortable at
Hollywood parties.
It’s not
exactly
Shakespeare, but this is how it’s going down when the apocalypse hits.
Just in
case you where wondering, yes, Rihanna falls to her fiery death and so
does
Cera. He really cops it. Retreating from the apocalypse the boys run
inside and
barricade themselves indoors. Panic, fear, desperation and stupidity
sink in as
the boys try to comprehend what is actually going on outside. Obviously
they
take the rest of the party supplies and have their own party, despite
the
impending doom. They drink, smoke, laugh and film their own home
version of Pineapple Express 2. Then Emma Watson
shows up and kicks some butt. It’s a great cameo and it’s fun watching
her
interact with the boys at their most stupid.
Throughout the first half of the film, the trapped
survivors start to
learn that moving is the key to survival. After much bickering and a
bit of
sketchy adlibbing, they decide to venture out into the hell spawned
Hollywood. This
is a welcome change in pace and also opens the film up to allow for
more
cameos. Channing Tatum has a fantastic blink and you’ll miss it role,
which may
surprise some fans. So does anyone else meet their gruesome end? Does
comedy
save the day? Does Franco get his shirt off? You’ll just have to watch
to find
out.
This Is the End is a ridiculous film and the cinematic
equivalent of the funny drunk guy who lingers at the party, for just a bit too
long. At least fifteen minutes could have been trimmed from the final edit. It’s
also a wonder where the thirty million dollar budget went. The film looks low
budget and is scripted with the attention of a high school knock around play. It
will not earn any new fans for these actors, run a mile if you aren't one,
but it will please those that already enjoy their work. The laughs are mostly tongue
in cheek mixed with outright stupidity. The guys aren’t afraid to make fun of
themselves and each other. This makes for an easy, fun time at the movies or at
home on the couch. Watch it with a mate, a date or at the end of a party. Just
make sure you watch the end credits. The sequence they close the film with is
almost worth the price of admission alone.
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