Gaby’s Movie Review: ‘This Is The End’

I tend to be a little more critical when it comes to comedies. It’s not exactly easy for me to get a good laugh out of anything. It has to be legitimately clever or shockingly gross to get a laugh or even a chuckle out of me. So when I say that a comedy is really good, well, I mean it. That’s definitely the case for This Is The End.

When I first heard the concept behind This Is The End, I was totally intrigued. A bunch of celebrities playing themselves as the apocalypse happens? I’m so down for that. The movie starts out with Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel meeting up to hang out in LA. Jay isn’t really into all of Seth’s famous friends. He hates Jonah Hill, thinks James Franco doesn’t know him and continues to make excuses on how he just doesn’t fit in with Seth’s new crowd. However, Seth convinces him to go to James Franco’s housewarming party.

At the party, it’s cameos galore. We see Michael Cera quite unlike we’ve ever seen him before. Rihanna, Emma Watson, Jason Segel, Kevin Hart and several other celebs make appearances. But then, shit hits the fan. The apocalypse begins as a huge sinkhole swallows up most of Franco’s guests. The survivors, who include Franco, Rogen, Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson, barricade themselves inside Franco’s mansion as the world goes ablaze. It’s one thing to try to survive all the craziness that is happening outside, but can they survive each other?

This movie is flat out crazy. It’s mostly comedy but has notable amount of action and horror mixed in, making it a truly entertaining experience. For much of the film, I felt like I was on this insane rollercoaster ride. Jay and Seth are the true leads of the film, and obviously since the two are besties in real life, their chemistry is apparent on screen. Even the rest of the cast works very well with each other, bouncing comedic lines and banter off each other with little effort. And for those hankering for that Pineapple Express sequel, This Is The End pretty much delivers on that.

As expected, the humor is gross, raunchy and ridiculous, but it’s coming from the best young comedians of this day. They find a way not just to make it entertaining, but sort of clever and new. The film does lose some momentum midway through, but when the situation turns direr, it becomes even better. If you appreciate films like Pineapple Express or 21 Jump Street, there’s no doubt that you’ll have a hell of a time watching This Is The End.

My best advice is to avoid spoilers before you see the film. The shocks and surprises play so much better when you don’t know what or who to expect. The ending is just… awesome, and I refuse to elaborate any more on it. Go see this movie with your friends and just have a great time seeing some funny celebs dealing with The Rapture. Honestly, who ever thought that the Book of Revelations could be so funny?

Rating: 9/10

Prepare for the world’s demise when This Is The End hits theaters on June 12^th.