XXX crap posing as a comedy film

Rating: 3/10 (7 July 2014)

OK, so an ensemble cast of talented actors play themselves in an apocalyptic comedy. Sounds original and intriguing. So what happened with This Is The End? Why wasn't it good? Even more disturbing is why has it received almost universal praise from critics and fans?
The film definitely has it's funny moments early on; however, it begins to drag near the middle and the tired attempts at humor onward to the end come off as downright desperate. It's painful. The loose script that allowed the actors to kind of do their own thing really begins to show just how difficult this can be for even seasoned actors.
I'd like to think I'm no square with a decent sense of humor (I was the class clown in high school after all) but was it really necessary for the comedy to turn so vulgar? ***SPOILER ALERT*** Some parts were borderline criminal, like when Jay Baruchel starts talking about which of the men might rape Emma Watson. Then there's the parts that are too XXX, like when Danny McBride spends entirely too much time talking about masturbating all over James Franco's crib or the scene where a giant devil walks through Los Angeles with his manhood swinging freely for all to see. ***END SPOILER***
I actually can't believe James Franco agreed to do this garbage. It's like a couple of steps backward for him. He's shown himself to be a pretty good actor with performances in films like 127 Hours, Oz The Great and Powerful, Milk, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Now he goes and does this and all of a sudden it's like Wayne's World 2013.
The concept of celebrities playing themselves in a disaster/comedy gets high marks but the horrible script, special effects, and surprisingly bad acting (even for a comedy) sinks This is the End. Don't get sucked into the Matrix. It's OK to take the red pill. This is not a good movie.