The stoner movie to end all stoner movies – literally

Seth Rogen’s latest is a drug, alcohol, sex and Milky Way-fuelled comedy blowout with an apocalyptic bite as he sends up himself, his friends and the celebrity LA lifestyle. This Is The End could be the perfect watch for those who like to smoke cannabis, whether medically or recreationally. You may even wish to add this movie to your watch list for your cannabis Christmas festivities this year!

Revolving around a housewarming party thrown by James Franco, played with an indulgent, knowing egotism by, erm, James Franco, Rogen and his celebrity buddies (Franco, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill and Danny McBride) find themselves literally at ground zero during the end of the world. No, not a faux-Roland Emmerich style disaster end of the world – this is the real deal: Armageddon, Old Testament style! Suffice to say the star-packed party-goers are overlooked by the rapture but their numbers are thinned out drastically and gruesomely as all Hell breaks loose. In these brief moments crammed to the art-adorned rafters with celebrity comedy cameos, Michael Cera stands out both in his portrayal and his exit but Emma Watson comes close to stealing the entire movie in a surprise boomerang cameo.

The joy of being able to make a film with your bestest buds shines through every frame of this lewd, crude masterpiece and none of the main cast are asked to hold back, with something approaching 50% of the dialogue improvised in the finished project. But this is a vanity project without a shred of vanity, as each of them chew up the scenery with gusto and seek to outdo each other in terms of flawed personalities and just pure gross-out madness. Surely no other film could justify or sustain Franco and McBride’s increasingly heated debate or where it is and isn’t okay to jerk off during a survival situation.

Make no mistake, this is a film that doesn’t skimp on the dick and fart jokes and leaves no opportunity for coarseness unexplored but This Is The End works just as well as an apocalyptic horror film. The special effects are great and there are plenty of thrills and frights with more than a few good jump scares – including one that made most of the audience jump (and me yelp out loud).

Despite the action and horror, though, This Is The End has its tongue firmly planted in its cheek at all times. It’s a hugely likeable, gratuitously violent, foul-mouthed comedy horror which is far far better than it has any right to be. Seth and his co-stars’ genuine relationships infuse the film with bawdy confidence that’s impossible to resist. And you just know there’s going to be a phenomenal set of bloopers and deleted scenes on the (hopefully “unrated” edition) Blu Ray release.

this is the end review
Score 8/10
logo

Related posts

This Is 40 (2012) Review

This Is 40 (2012) Review

Can you have a feel-bad comedy? Is that a thing? I'm making it a thing. This Is 40 is a feel-bad comedy. There's nothing like a feel-good comedy to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. But can you have a feel-bad comedy? Is that a thing? I'm making it a thing. "This Is 40" is a...

Penguins Of Madagascar (2014) Review

Penguins Of Madagascar (2014) Review

Should you p-p-p-pick up a ticket for Penguins Of Madagascar? Spin-offs, eh? It seems like a sure thing: take a popular supporting character and give them own fully-fledged adventure but there can be hidden pitfalls. As the swaggering, cocky never-say-die plot drivers (and frequent deus...

The Lord Of The Rings (1978) Review

The Lord Of The Rings (1978) Review

The Lord Of The Rings is Bakshi-t crazy. The 1978 animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is an oddball relic that, depending on who you ask, either lands squarely in the realm of cult classic or lingers as an ambitious experiment that didn’t quite hit its mark. Directed by Ralph...

The Practical Joker

The Practical Joker

Star Trek: The Animated Series S2E03 - The Practical Joker Star Trek: The Animated Series takes an unexpected detour into outright comedy with The Practical Joker, an episode that sees the Enterprise itself turned into a mischievous tormentor. While Star Trek has always had room for...

Shadow Of The Vampire (2000) Review

Shadow Of The Vampire (2000) Review

Truth is stranger than fiction in Shadow Of The Vampire A blackly comic metafictional account of the making of “Nosferatu”, positing the idea that F W Murnau was prepared to go to any lengths in order to capture his masterwork, even turning a blind eye to the real-life vampire he has...

Convoy (1978) Review

Convoy (1978) Review

Sam Peckinpah's Convoy starts to lose momentum just as the rubber hits the road Judged by what made it to the screen, Convoy is far from Sam Peckinpah’s best work. Intended to capitalise on the booming popularity of CB radio and American road culture during the 1970’s, this...

The Great Wall (2017) Review

The Great Wall (2017) Review

I don't want to Damonise anyone but Matt's the wrong type of brick for The Great Wall. “The Great Wall” is an epic Chinese fantasy adventure film unfortunately compromised by the token addition of a pair of western actors in an attempt to increase its box office potential. Set in the...

Cats (2019) Review

Cats (2019) Review

I don't think anyone was readdicle, for these Jellicles Much has been made of the bizarre nature of Tom Hooper's movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical adaptation of T S Elliot's book of cat poems and sure, there's no denying that there are a bunch of weird choices in...