This Is the End

This Is the End

 (2013)

A Review by Grant Kanigan

Directed by: Evan Goldbreg, Seth Rogen

Written by: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen & Jason Stone

Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco,

              Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride

Rating: 18A

Release Date: June 12th, 2013

Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco & Craig Robinson in This Is the End
© 2013 - Sony Pictures

      One would think it's pretty easy to make a funny movie. You come up with a funny premise, stick a couple comedians in front of a camera, and voila! If only it were that easy; Going Overboard, Ed, Baby Geniuses, The Adventures of Pluto Nash and The Master of Disguise prove that simply throwing comedians in front of a camera and drowning them in money does not a funny movie make. Thankfully the brains behind This Is the End thought about their premise before they began shooting on a minuscule budget. As well, the performers in front of the camera aren't just funny - they're absolutely hilarious.
     This Is the End follows best friends Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel, both playing warped versions of themselves. Rogen picks up Baruchel from the airport, and after an afternoon of the smoky green variety, Rogen convinces Baruchel to attend a party of hollywood a-list talent at James Franco's house, another good friend of Rogen. Once they arrive, and we're shown the outward personalities of the main characters - Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Robinson, Hill & McBride - the walls start to shake, the ground begins to crumble, and smoke fills the sky. Without warning, the group finds themselves in the apocalypse.
     It's a testament to Rogen and Goldberg as writers that the film is so funny. While the group of actors are hilarious, the premise, situations and script itself always rise up to support a scene when a joke falls flat. However, the jokes rarely do; the comfort of working with friends and mocking one's own public persona shines through for some absolutely killer situations. Jonah Hill, sandwiched between, (well deserved), Oscar nominations for Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street absolutely kills as a pseudo-elite, looking down on everyone, especially Baruchel. His prayer to God is one of the funniest lines in the movie, showcasing the 'character' Jonah hill as an ignorant, selfish jerk: "Dear God, if we could get out of this, that'd be great. But if you can find it in your heart to kill Jay, that'd be just so great. I'd really appreciate it. I f***ing hate that guy." This willingness to skewer themselves is a sort of willingness that has been absent in previous films satirizing hollywood. Did That Just Happen?, State & Main, and even Get Shorty have all rung false as satires. They take themselves too seriously, and aren't willing to offend those who need a skewering. This Is the End is the antithesis to such filmmaking.
     While This Is the End is absolutely silly, the cast and crew slyly slip subtle social commentary into certain scenes. Rogen's colleagues after all, invented the "bromance" with films like I Love You, Man which was similar to Rogen & Goldberg's Pineapple Express. Here, the cast pushes this bromance to extremes - Franco's devotion to Rogen throughout the movie is some sort of hilarious bromosexual romance that doesn't make any other cast members blink, (except for the very confused Rogen). As well, the female characters in the movie are strong - Emma Watson holds off the entire group of six with her cunning and strength; the six men are complete oafs. These situations, while completely ridiculous force a liberal ideology that's unwelcome in most modern cinema. With their bromances and strong female leads, This Is the End subtly promotes equality for both gender and sexual orientation. This social commentary rises the film above mere hilarious stupidity into the sublime pantheon of hilarious satire, alongside the best of Mel Brooks or Barry Levinson.
    In closing, This Is the End is one of the most daring films in years. While the film mocks religion, it also follows the biblical vision of the rapture with meticulous care. From seeming like a natural disaster, to a alien invasion to the realization that hell is literally walking the Earth, Rogen and Goldberg fully buy into their premise. They know the premise is stupid, they know the movie is ridiculous, but like the old Paul McCartney line, they also know "when you've got a job to do, you gotta do it well - you gotta give the other fellow hell." As comedic scriptwriters, the duo do it better than anyone else in the industry. Look for Rogen & Goldberg's upcoming film The Interview, in theatres this December.

Grant's Rating: 4/5

This Is the End: Trailer

Teaser Trailer for Rogen & Goldberg's The Interview