A Stoner Comedy As Envisioned By The Book Of Revelation
What is there to say about a movie that features both a coked-up Michael Sera and a thousand foot demon with a swinging appendage the size of the Eiffel Tower except two points for audacity.
This Is The End is a drug-fueled, man-child bromance as envisioned by John of Patmos and the head of the product placement department at Sony Pictures. An eschatological romp that, unlike the Left Behind series, has the presence of mind to take the evangelical holocaust of nonbelievers with its tongue planted firmly in cheek.
Jay Bachurel is back in town to smoke weed, play video games and eat at Carl’s Jr with his childhood friend Seth Rogen. Bachurel isn’t much for the Los Angeles lifestyle, or the new show business friends he’s been replaced by. However, after a little cajoling, he tags along to a housewarming party at James Franco’s house where everyone from Rihanna to Emma Watson are in attendance.
A 9.5 earthquake soon hits, sending the house guests into a hell pit outside and Rogen, Bachurel, Franco, Craig Robinson and Jonah Hill inside for refuge. With limited supplies, increasing chaos outside and the threat of internal collapse from Danny McBride, the stranded caricatures do their best to survive.
With a movie like this, the only real question is whether it’s funny or not and barring equal amounts of tedium and hilarity, This Is The End is mostly amusing. It stutters when relying too heavily on tired pot jokes or bodily fluids but finds inspired silliness when dealing with the onslaught of earthquakes, demons and Danny McBride.
I enjoyed its willingness to lampoon not only every actor involved (or their filmographies) but its gleeful descent into the absurd. It’s like a Kirk Cameron fever dream of what the end times will be like for the poor sinners of the thirty mile zone. Except that instead of a strict adherence to theological doctrine, the basic notions of human decency are required to gain access into heaven. Unfortunately, this being Hollywood, there’s little of that to go around.
One of my favorite running jokes is the satirization of cinematic self-sacrifice as a shorthand for valor. Having been in so many movies, that’s the only way these actors can relate to the higher aspirations of the human spirit. A little indulgent to be sure, but very funny.
I’m not much for ratings since they’re by nature arbitrary (I suppose opinions are too) but I realize people like the grading system or direction thumb system. I created the Batman Scale to be itself arguable, may I should start using it in the written reviews too.
Janelle! Get off your duff and take you girlfriend! Do it!
Micheal Cera definitely stole the show. Drinking the Capri-Sun in the bathroom while two girls service him, comedy genius. The director said on Maron’s podcast that Cera only agreed to do the movie if he could wear that windbreaker in every scene.