Title: This Is The End (2013)
Director: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Cast: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill,
Danny McBride, Craig Robinson
Review:
You all know Seth Rogen as the actor behind such films as Knocked
Up (2007) and Superbad (2007). He’s currently enjoying a high point in his
career working alongside people like Joseph Gordon Levitt, Michelle Williams,
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz and even Barbara
Streisand. Rogen has also worked with many renowned filmmakers and directors; but
one thing you may not know about Rogen is that he himself writes and produces films.
He is as active behind the camera as he is in front of it. Often times, Rogen
collaborates with his writing buddy Evan Goldberg, with whom he has
collaborated in writing films like Superbad (2007). Each of them has branched
into the entertainment business in their own way, Rogen in the writing acting
department, while Goldberg more on the writing producing department, but they
always end up working together again. When they wrote Superbad, a teenage
comedy which went on to become a smash hit, they decided their next film was
going to be called Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse. This film would be about
two friends who end up locked up inside of an apartment as the apocalypse is
occurring outside, the two guys end up hating each other. They wrote it, shot a
little trailer for it and then put it on You Tube. As of today, it’s been
viewed by more than 630,000 people! So anyhow, they shopped their project
around, found someone to back it up and voila! We have This Is The End, a film
both written and directed by Seth Rogen and his pal Evan Goldberg. It’s obvious
this was a dream project of theirs, so, how was it?
The interesting part about This Is The End is that all the
actors that appear in it are playing themselves. So Seth Rogen is Seth Rogen,
James Franco is James Franco and so forth. This of course isn’t entirely true
because these actors are playing exaggerated or even alternate versions of
themselves. But still, I gotta say it’s a fun gimmick imagining that Danny
McBride is that much of an asshole. So anyways, the idea is that James Franco
is putting on this party of the century type of deal where all these famous
actors and performers are attending. So you’ll see Michael Cera doing lines of
coke and slapping Rihanna’s ass! There’s Christopher Mintz-Plasse! There’s Paul
Rudd! There’s Aziz Ansari and so forth. This part of the film is jam packed
with cameos, which is fun. Even Jason Segel shows up at one point. So there’s a
moment in the night where Rogen and Baruchel decide to go out to buy a pack of
cigarettes when suddenly, the end of the world begins. What is triggering the
end of the world? Why is blue light sucking people up to the heavens? Why is
the earth opening and swallowing people up? Could this be the ‘judgment day’
that the bible talks so much about?
So yeah, the concept is that God has finally brought the end
of the world upon humanity, so it’s up to these guys to figure out how they can
get into heaven because apparently god didn’t think they were worthy. This is
an awesome concept because I’ve always wondered how the biblical end of the
world would look like. In my mind it was way more epic then what we see in This
Is The End, but that has to do with the fact that This Is The End takes place
almost entirely inside of James Franco’s house! This to me is one of the
elements that makes this film so much fun because you hear these guys saying
things like “Let’s make a sequel to Pineapple Express” and then they go on
about what they actually want to do with that sequel, while smoking a joint! “We
should make sequels to all our movies!” Funny, funny stuff. I loved how each of
the characters takes on a persona, McBride is the hateful asshole, James Franco
hates McBride, but loves Rogen. Jay Baruchel is the anti-social dude, Michael
Cera is the out of line coke head. So it’s fun having all these guys partying
their brains out, and then having to deal with surviving the apocalypse. That’s
a double dose of funny situations.
Many will find this film extremely offensive, and it’s
mostly to do with the fact that the film makes fun of all sorts of Christian beliefs.
It’s the kind of film that takes all that mythology from the bible and turns it
into one big fat joke, kind of like Paul (2011) did. In my opinion, this serves
as a way to show just how ridiculous some of these ideas presented in the bible
can get. For example, the film plays with this whole notion of ‘the rapture’.
This is the event in which supposedly god takes the good people of the earth up
to heaven with him while leaving the sinners down here to rot in a hell on
earth. In the film, a blue beam of light sort of beams you up to heaven, kind
of the way they beam you up in a Star Trek movie. Watching all this I was
thinking how silly and hilarious it all is! But then you realize this isn’t so
far from what the bible actually teaches! I mean all of the animals in the
world fit into one boat? So you go up to heaven and you get a halo on top of
your head? Come on! Eve actually talks to a snake! What? And let’s not forget
the dragons with seven heads! If all these ideas sound fantastic to you, then
you should know they all come out of the bible! Rogen and Goldberg take these
ideas and put them in their movie and make you realize damn, this stuff’s actually
funny! When James Franco is being beamed up to heaven is one of the most
hilarious things in the movie, you gotta see it, I dare you not to laugh. While
watching This Is The End I got a Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1990) vibe from
it because same as that movie, the main characters go both to heaven and hell
and they both offer us hilarious versions of these mythical places. In This Is
The End heaven is one big ass party, but I ain’t gonna spoil it for you.
Aside from having fun with Christian beliefs, the film is
also extremely graphic in nature. Not just with its jokes, but with its
depiction of gore. For example, there’s only one porno mag in the whole house,
and these five dudes have to survive the apocalypse with it, so I guess they
take turns using it? Point is at one point a fight breaks out between Franco
and McBride because McBride jizzed all over the magazine! This is just an
example of how crazy the jokes can get, if you like your comedy cute and cuddly
don’t go see this movie. If on the other hand you like your comedy raunchy,
then you’re in for a treat. I read that while making this film, almost every
actor (except James Franco) at one point said they wouldn’t do something
because it was too crazy. I mean, Emma Watson herself stepped out of the movie
half way because she thought the ideas were too crazy. She was actually
supposed to be in the movie a lot more, but bowed out because she couldn’t take
it. Hey, if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen! So that lets you
know this one will test your limits of good taste. And then there’s the gore,
which is plentiful and hilarious! Ever wanted to see someone play football with
some dudes decapitated head? Then this is the movie for you!
How cool was it to have all these funny guys together on the
same film? I mean, this is the kind of comedy I love, where they put a bunch of
funny dudes together in one movie and see what happens. Obviously there was a
lot of improvisation on this film, its part of what I love about movies like
this one. I mean, you can tell these were really just a bunch of friends
getting together having fun making a movie. I’m sure it must have been pretty
difficult to keep a straight face while shooting some of these scenes. One idea
did pop into my head; maybe it should be this team of comedians that takes a
stab at a Ghostbusters reboot? It would be hilarious to seethese dudes playing
Peter, Eagon, Ray and Winston, but alas, that’s just me pipe dreaming. But you
gotta admit it would be cool wouldn’t it?
So yeah my friends, this movie is all over the place! It’s
extreme, it’s funny, it’s gory, and these characters curse like sailors even
when in heaven! “Welcome to heaven motherfuckers!” Yes, this film is rated ‘R’ and
don’t you forget it! I was surprised there weren’t any topless girls in this movie;
it was all that was missing really. When I went to see this one, half of the
theater was laughing, the other half was sitting uncomfortable in their chairs,
so it’s a divisive movie. My guess is that the conservative half, the half that
goes to church every Sunday was about ready to leave the theater, while the
other half were laughing their asses off, I was of course laughing my ass off.
After all, if there is a God, he’s gotta have a sense of humor right? I mean,
he created George W. Bush didn’t he? So my advice is just go see this one with
an open mind, ready to be offended, you just might find yourself having a good
time.
Rating: 4 out of 5
13 comments:
The biggest problem with this movie of course is that the 6 main actors involved are all: hateful, extremely unlikeable, mean spirited, talentless, moronic, idiotic wankers.
I want to bugger Emma Watson.
Steve: I don't agree with ya dude, I liked these guys, they don't have to be 'likable' to be funny, in fact, a lot of their comedy comes from being complete assholes.
Jervaise: I understand you on that one. On the film there is a scene in which Mrs. Watson has to stay in the house with the guys and they all start talking about not getting "rapey" around her, that was a pretty funny scene!
Francisco, i just realised something, Emma Watson is 23 and therefore already 5 years past the prime of her life, so i should have said: I want to bugger Emma Watson (as the bird was in 2008 when the bird was 18, not as the bird is now obviously). Just thought i`d clarify that, thanks.
Francisco, i hear ya`, but what i really specifically meant to say was that in these kinds of films its like the actors spend literally half the movie laughing directly at the audience because they know that they (the audience) were all idiotic enough to pay $8 each to see them (the actors) indulging in their absurd and pathetic behaviour. Its like they`re saying to the audience: "Look at us, we`re getting paid millions of dollars to indulge in this childish bull-shit while you poor fuckers have to make do with minimum wage for cleaning toilets ! ! !", and the lucky bastards are getting away with it as well, thats what really gets on my nerves about these kinds of movies, and about the entire so-called entertainment industry in general, strickly speaking.
To jervaise brooke hamster:can you give the"i wanna bugger"thing a break!
Yes i will, but only for reveiws of movies that dont have any gorgeous sexy young girls in them.
Francisco, it would be nice to know your opinion on Steve Prefontaines second comment as well, i think he really stated some very painful truths in that one.
I just feel that these actors are doing what they get paid to do, and they are doing witht their lives what they want to do with their lives, why hate them for that? I don't feel idiotic for choosing to pay to see their movie, I wanted to be entertained and I wanted to laugh, and that's exactly what I got.
I don't despise these guys because they are millionaires, they chose to be where they are, they took the steps to get there and now their making kazillions at the box office, more power to them. They are sawing the fruits of the labor. It just so happens that in their chosen profession they make a lot of money.
The entertainment industry is there to make us laugh, be amazed and sometimes even think. I've seen a life changing movie or two in my life, so I'm not gonna bring down movies and entertainment because it has it's validity in life. Movies are like books, there are good ones and there are bad ones, you just gotta know which to choose.
Good reply Francisco, maybe i`m just bitter and jealous because i`m not where those lucky bastards are, and never will be. Although to be fair and in my favour i still think there are a lot of people out there who would whole-heartedly and unreservedly agree with everything i said in my earlier comment.
Agree on that Steve!
Good review Francisco. I don't think I stopped laughing once and it just allowed me to have more and more of a great time with this. Can't wait to see it again!
Dan O. Im going to see it again as well with some friends.
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