THIS IS THE END truly earns the title of being THE cinematic comedy bukkake!
Now… if the image of Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson and Danny “The Great Cumungus” McBride – all blowing comedy jizz all over you is causing you to hit your back button and leave this review – then perhaps you just don’t have the emotional immaturity necessary to fully appreciate the constant assault that this movie will lay upon you.
This film feels like the sort of insanity that comes exactly from friends wanting to make a movie that really made them laugh first. Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen expanded upon a short film called JAY AND SETH VS. THE APOCALYPSE, which was directed by Jason Stone back in 2007 and did indeed star Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel. It’s just, Seth and Jay have made a bit of social progress since 2007. So when they’re at a house party thrown by James Franco… the cast for this is just epic.
Emma Watson? YES! I actually don’t really think of her as Hermione anymore, because everything that she’s done since that film has been exquisitely performed to have me think of her as a young woman of a high degree of sophisticated emotional and crafted work… To see Emma just cut loose with these guys… It is a pure joy. She is hysterical and properly freaked out. I won’t spoil the joke, but when you see her wielding the axe in the trailer – that’s coming off of an absolutely exquisitely bad taste comedy bit that utterly justifies her actions. And, because I’ve seen her handle Voldemort’s various nightmares… it makes me believe she could handle herself. She definitely has more balls than Rogen.
At this point – we know their schtick… their comedy comes from themselves, they are… inherently fucking funny people. If you have a conversation with Seth, you will find yourself laughing, unless he just strikes you wrong, in which case there’s nothing I’m going to say to make you think this is up your alley.
For a big bunch of this film, you’ll be holed up at James Franco’s house with Franco, Hill, Rogen, Baruchel, McBride and Robinson. They’re not going outside, because… it’s pretty much the end of the fucking world outside. There’s grunting through the burning stench of Hollywood that keeps these self-admittedly pansyasses hoping against hope that it’ll just go away or they’ll be rescued. Much of the comedy is constructed from every actor in the film playing hilariously off their known image. There’s also a degree of wish fulfillment, especially with McBride, whom the apocalypse doesn’t necessarily faze a bit. I mean there should be a sequel to this starring Danny McBride called THE END WAS MY BEGINNING and pick up exactly where we saw him.
McBride doesn’t see the horror of it all, he sees opportunity. The bullshit that kept him from every primal desire he’s ever had has been lifted. He’s laying down a personal foundation for the POST-APOCALYPSE – and he has the perfect asshole at his side. But no spoilers.
Jonah Hill… I have to admit, he kinda freaks me out in the film. Jonah really is the Care Bear of the film. There’s just such a sweetness about him – that it makes you instantly distrust him. But he’s unrelentingly sweet. Baruchel’s right, I absolutely believe that Jonah Hill has a great serial killer resting inside of him – and in about 10 years – I’d watch him as GACY… and get about as creeped the fuck out as he actually kind of creeped me in this.
Craig Robinson is probably my favorite of the film though – he seems to be one of the few characters that is genuinely open to this being the apocalypse – and that that means a whole lot of shit. I mean – the day you see blue beams sucking people up into the sky – and demons roaming the Earth – you can quote Sagan all you want, but you’ve got to fucking acknowledge the miracle. Until then, I prefer Sagan too, but I’ve got a healthy respect for religion – and there will be those that can see this movie as an absolute valid representation of the Biblical Hellfire that engulfs the Earth… but back to Craig – he’s just playing at more than being funny here. And I believe it deserves to be called out. He’s hilarious, but he puts something else there too that I loved.
James Franco’s James Franco… well, it’s just honest and from his heart.
Jay Baruchel is someone I’ve been pissed at ever since I had to trounce his ass for messing with my underage Niece in FANBOYS. He’s a threat – and apparently a liar too. I just wish Jonah’s prayer had come through. Here, he’s the too cool for this gang type. But all kidding aside, he’s great here.
The carnage and the gore is kind of blissful. This is a very hard R rated Comedy. If you don’t enjoy bodily fluids in film – they are discussed and expelled through a variety of manners that wouldn’t be acceptable at most chain restaurants. But dear god it is hysterical.
I’ve seen friends try to describe this as being funny like the big 80’s comedies. Actually the hysterical laughmeter in my brain told me I haven’t laughed this hard in a theater since SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT… only… imagine if all the celebrities were really playing themselves. It’s that fucking funny. I do think it could’ve used a couple of robust musical numbers, but otherwise – IT RULED!
This will be one of the great party comedies to watch on those movie nights with friends and the intoxicants of your choosing.
If you want to leave a movie theater laughing into the night with friends, this is that movie so far this summer. There's nothing close in terms of humor thus far.
THIS IS THE END
