This Is The End

[weekender]

While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse.

I know, sounds like a shit premise and very self-indulgent, right?

Well, I was pleasantly surprised.  The celebs - and there are a lot of them - ham up their own personalities in a way that is endearing rather than self-indulgent.  The overall plot doesn't actually become irrelevant and is done pretty well - it allows the characters to actually have 'character' rather than just becoming goofballs.

There's some really tense moments - when The Apocalypse first arrives, it's done really well and had some people jumping out of their seats (not me - I am too cool to jump out of my seat).  Some of the deaths are both horrific and hilarious at the same time, which takes some skill to pull off.

Throw into that mix some funny banter, some great acting performances (no, really - James Franco and Danny McBride were my personal highlights), quite a few gross-out moments, a tense situation (I really did wonder what the resolution was going to be) and you really do have a good film.

Spoiler alert

The way the Emma Watson 'rape' scene was written was particularly hilarious, although coming a close second was The Exorcism Of Jonah Hill.

[close]

I think it needs some editing - it's 2 hours long and would benefit from cutting out about 1/2 an hour - but overall to me this is one of those films like Olympus Has Fallen.  It doesn't set out to change the world via film, it sets out to entertain you, and it does it very well - perhaps better than you were expecting.  I wanted to kill a couple of hours this afternoon by watching a 'dumb' film, but I feel like this was time well spent and 'This Is The End' is actually more clever than it suggests.  Recommended.

[Josef K]

I agree, it was enjoyable all round.
It's one of those films I want to strongly dislike but I just can't. They did a good job at sending themselves up as well.

Nice to know that there's still product placement in the apocalypse.

[Ja'moke]

I also really enjoyed this. It's not breaking any new ground but it was fun seeing some of my favourite comedy actors (and some of my not so favourites) being killed in a variety of horrific ways. The core cast bounced off each other well, I suppose to be expected given that most of them have been working together for years. I also wasn't expecting the effects to be as good as they were, it was better than most disaster/apocalypse movies. There was also a couple of nicely inspired pieces

Spoiler alert

the Exorcism of Jonah Hill being one, and the sequel to Pineapple Express.

[close]

[phantom_power]

I also thought it was great fun. Michael Cera in the bathroom had me laughing for several minutes. The only thing I would have liked would have been more interesting deaths at the beginning rather than

Spoiler alert

loads of them falling down a hole

[close]

[Famous Mortimer]

I just got back from going to see it, and I really enjoyed it. I agree it was a smidgeon too long, but other than that it nailed everything it needed to nail.

I loved the

Spoiler alert

Channing Tatum

[close]

cameo, I loved how it developed...I got no sense of how much time had elapsed from the beginning of the film to the end, but small potatoes considering the goodness the film contained.

[SteveDave]

I saw this yesterday (in an empty & freezing cold screening) & quite liked it. Afterwards I realised it seemed like a load of sketches shoved together.

I loved the

Spoiler alert

Rosemary's Baby

[close]

reference including the lines that

Spoiler alert

Mia Farrow

[close]

says when she's being

Spoiler alert

impregnated by the Devil

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[nb]I'm spoilering this because I wasn't sure if I had to[/nb] & Jonah Hill in general being a nice man throughout.

I'm glad Rihanna went to Hell.

[Noodle Lizard]

I felt like an alien watching it in a cinema full of people laughing at every joke.  It's just not fucking funny.

That being said, I can't remember a funnier film that came out in the past year either.  Off to slit my wrists.

EDIT:  Sequel in the works already, apparently.  Yeah, a sequel.

[acrow]

calm down, tc.

[Hat FM]

i also quite enjoyed this though it would have been worth a watch just for Cera's appearance.

Seth Rogen said it cost them $31m to make.  They wanted $50m.

But a sequel? Really?

[El Unicornio, mang]

Saw this last night. Really enjoyed it (possibly helped by seeing it in a cinema that served beer). Thought it was consistently funny throughout, and even Johah Will was enjoyable. Favourite bits were probably Michael Cera and the bit when the guy

Spoiler alert

steps on the woman's head and says "sorry!"

[close]

. Wasn't that into the ending though. And a sequel??

[Noodle Lizard]

You are wrong, it was shit.

[checkoutgirl]

It's just not fucking funny.

I can't remember a funnier film that came out in the past year

it was shit.

[Noodle Lizard]

Ooh, he's done me there!

For those who don't want to scroll up a bit:

That being said, I can't remember a funnier film that came out in the past year either.  Off to slit my wrists.

And that I did, ya fucking dick.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I enjoyed it a lot too, and I have a completely unfair hatred of Jonah Hill. It worked that they played up to that, and whilst it was a bit over long I really enjoyed it. So you're wrong you crazy Lizard you. It's okay, it happens sometimes.

[Noodle Lizard]

Did you all actually manage to sit through the scene where all the actors sat around talking about how great they were, played 100% sincerely, and not shout "OH FUCK OFF YOU UNBEARABLE CUNTS" at the screen?  I did, too.  But the film was still unforgivable shit and anyone who likes it should actually be ashamed.  Seriously.

But to be fair, I did laugh at all the "You're gay!", "No, YOU'RE gay!" jokes, so I was laughing more or less once every ten seconds.

[Famous Mortimer]

I enjoyed it a lot too, and I have a completely unfair hatred of Jonah Hill. It worked that they played up to that, and whilst it was a bit over long I really enjoyed it. So you're wrong you crazy Lizard you. It's okay, it happens sometimes.

I feel the same way, as I do with SMBH about all things.`

[The Duck Man]

I saw it at the cinema on release (largely because of the "surprisingly good" reviews from you fuckers), so I'm a little fuzzy now, but I thought it was really rather poor. It had ample opportunity to have fun with the concept of celebrities surviving the apocalypse, relative levels of fame, various films they've done, perceptions about each of them (Franco's pomposity etc.), fun cameos. And it only ever really occasionally used them well. Instead it was joke after joke about dick sucking and titty fucking. It's an incredibly lazy and juvenile film.

It also really required tighter performance rather than the rambling Apatow-stable mumbling, which often killed the reasonable lines. I'm normally fine with this gang's films - although Apatow wasn't actually involved in this, so maybe having Rogen/Goldberg directing meant they were too self-indulgent and took it too far. There was a nice bit where they had "The Exorcism of Jonah Hill" subtitle and then they played with that a bit - I'd have liked far more of that.

Good Backstreet Boys cameo, mind.

[pliable oftentimes]

I had to force a laugh at the Michael Cera cameo, because it had all the hallmarks of something that should be funny, but strangely wasn't.

Apatow squeezes at least one funny moment out of his cast per scene. But Rogen isn't that good as a writer/director. Also the story (especially the middle) was boring and flat. 

[The Duck Man]

I think this scene illustrates what I'm talking about:

[Rogen and McBride are digging through the floor of Franco's house when Franco storms through the second floor hallway, carrying his prop gun and a porno magazine]
James Franco: Who did this?
Seth Rogen: Did what? What are you talking about?
James Franco: Jizzed all over the pages of this nice magazine I was nice enough to tell you about.
Danny McBride: [Raises hand] It was me, Franco. I fuckin' made jizz in your magazine.
James Franco: Why?
Danny McBride: When I fuckin' jack off long enough, I end up jizzin', dude. I'm assuming, the same shit works for you?
James Franco: Real fuckin' smart answer! Why don't you fuckin' aim, huh?
Danny McBride: I have a particularly explosive ejaculating that just goes everywhere. It's like a fuckin' wild fireman's hose - you just got to grab on and pray to God it doesn't get into your eyes or your mouth.
James Franco: The fuck kind of jerking off is that? What, you never had any brothers? You never learned to jizz in a fuckin' sock or on a fuckin' tissue?
Danny McBride: You think that's the only thing I jerk off in here? I've been dropping off loads around this fuckin' house like a goddamn dump truck.
James Franco: You don't cum on my stuff!
Danny McBride: I'll cum wherever the fuck I want, James! I'll fuckin' cum in your kitchen, I'll cum on your fuckin' art, I'll cum anywhere I want!
James Franco: I will fuckin' cum right on you! I will cum like a fuckin' madman all over you, McBride!
Danny McBride: Ooh! I fuckin' wish you'd cum on me rigt now! I fuckin' dare you to cum on me!
[Both men exchange masturbation gestures at each other]
Danny McBride: [Grabbing baseball bat between his legs] I'm gonna jack my dick so fuckin' hard in here...
James Franco: This, no more, man! All over your fuckin' face!
Danny McBride: ...All over the fuckin' floor, all over the fuckin' place! I'll cum everywhere!
James Franco: [Waving gun] No more fuckin' jerking off all over my house, McBride!

I mean, I can't claim to enjoy that sort of material much in the first place, and I know the intention of the scene is just meant to be them furiously throwing insults at one another, but you could at least say there's room for them to insert some inventive lines in there. Maybe suggest what else Franco does rather than ejaculate, or go into more detail about what McBride is going to do to his art. Or SOMETHING. But it just persists on this mediocre juvenile level, believing that having James Franco and Danny McBride saying "cum" a lot is enough.

Incidentally, Franco's whole performance is quite strange in a way I'm struggling to put my finger on. Perhaps that it seems affected, but without being deliberate. I'm not sure he does comedy all that well. But then maybe it's just because he's getting very little direction.

[Famous Mortimer]

I could've lived without Danny McBride in the film, but I enjoyed it enough.

[Thomas]

I don't really know enough of these actors to enjoy them playing themselves. That and the 'Hermione' joke in the trailer put me off. Yes, Harry Potter references make everyone laugh, ah ha ha.

[The Region Legion]

Just watched this.

Liked it actually but about half way through I kind of knew how it was going to end but knew they'd fuck it up somehow and I was right.

The obvious pay-off to the ending is that we get to Heaven and it's exactly the same as Franco's party, and Jay just has to deal with it. However, we get that, but suddenly Jay wants to be there. It has no ending, no punchline. Just "shit we don't have an ending... er... HERE'S THE BACKSTREET BOYS".

Also, the internal logic of the film collapses once we arrive in Heaven to find that it's arguably worse than Franco's party, with all the drugs, sluts and partying that they were all left behind during the Rapture for in the first place. With the above punchline I could have lived with that, but without it it's just bad writing.

[up_the_hampipe]

I could've lived without Danny McBride in the film, but I enjoyed it enough.

I thought he was great in it. Who would you have had in his place?

[Johnny Townmouse]

I know it's an extremely obvious thing to say but I did find it horribly self-indulgent.

I'm really coming round to Jonah Hill though - his creepy presence in this film, coupled with his incredible performance in Cyrus , make him stand out amongst Franco and Rogan whom I despise in equal measure.

[vrailaine]

Thought it was fine,  was enjiying it but it had that usual huge drop off for the final act, a bit worse than usual, actually

RE: McBride, I thought he was okay but don't buy the real guy being like that at all so it was kinda troubling just having him do this variation on Kenny Powers that I'm supposed to think is what he's like.

[up_the_hampipe]

I'm really coming round to Jonah Hill though

He had the funniest moment in the film with the whole

Spoiler alert

"oh really? Is the power of Christ compelling me?"

[close]

stuff. But yeah he's very hit-and-miss.

[Famous Mortimer]

I thought he was great in it. Who would you have had in his place?

vraillaine summed up a few of my problems with him, but...I don't know. I'm not sure he needed to be in the film at all? Not my best thought out opinion on a subject.

[checkoutgirl]

I'm really coming round to Jonah Hill though

Me too. He was probably the funniest in this for me and I thought he killed at Franco's roast. Easily the funniest roaster and he's not even really a comedian is he? I also quite liked that film he was in with Tateyum, what was it called? Exit on Main Street or something. I'm not going to defend Hill though, I just have a soft spot for him.

I enjoyed McBride's turn but it was touch and go for a bit. It could easily have soured at any point and he was walking a fine line but I think he pulled it off. I have a lot of grudging respect for McBride, he's always playing a similar character but I have to admit I quite like it. I also like Eastbound and I'm one of the 8 people in the whole world who enjoyed Land of the Lost or whatever that film was called.

As for the rest, Franco is clearly building the most self referential career in the history of Hollywood and I should like him for that but he's just so relentlessly charmless, I just want to punch him always. Baruchell, Rogan and Robinson can all get to fuck as far as I'm concerned but I don't mind Robinson too much if I'm honest.

I quite enjoyed the huddled conversation that Hermoine misunderstood. I thought it was well handled like most of the comedy in the film. I was waiting for the film to go over a cliff quality wise but it never did.

Thumbs up from me.

[The Region Legion]

The biggest problem with the film is that Danny McBride isn't as famous as the film says he is. Everyone else, other than the lead, was a huge international star, but I've never seen Danny in anything.

[Tiny Poster]

It assumes familiarity with their respective bodies of work, or the Pineapple Express 2 sequence wouldn't make any sense