This is the End- This Chaotic Apocalyptic Fantasy Triumphs in Vulgar Laughs and Whimsical Twists on Personalities Despite Being a Tad Pretentious

Rating: 7/10 (11 June 2013)

It doesn't really seem like an odd question when you think about it but have you ever had a daydream fantasy of imagining what it would be like to experience the devastation of the apocalypse, either of religious origin, zombie led, or alien controlled, with all of your closest friends right beside you? Well it seems co-writers Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg who have written everything together from the good (Superbad), the bad (The Green Hornet), and the ugly (The Watch) have envisioned such a scenario in their newest comedy This is the End, which also sees the two screenwriters sharing the directing chair to control their apocalyptic fantasy as it unfolds in all of its crudity, chaos, and humorous twists on celebrity personalities. And surprisingly this rabidly tongue in cheek, incessantly crass, and occasionally uneven farce, which initially seems like it's the most inside of inside jokes, ends up being a rather enjoyable and demented excursion into the hellish depths of two developing comedic minds. Not everything works throughout This is the End but it's a script that's filled to the brim with enough clever jokes, whimsical references, and biting social commentary to outweigh the occasional sense of pretentiousness and self-congratulatory trumpeting of its smug Hollywood private party. It seems the writing team of Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg has found an inventive delivery to test the limits of their comedic vulgarity while also giving a swiftly refreshing breath of fresh air to the premise that gives us a unique combination of critical self-parody and humorously grotesque comedy. Taking the Apatovian usual suspects and placing them in the chaos of the apocalypse was clever enough but adding in rapid fire dialogue, clever twists on known and unknown personalities, and a comedic energy not seen in many disappointing comedies of our modern years certainly makes This is the End worth risking for more than a few laughs. When comedy becomes expected it ends up losing its necessary impact but that isn't the case for Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg's directorial debut as they allow the uninhibited lunacy of their characters loose throughout their post-apocalyptic fantasy world that will inevitably surprise you in its humorous risks and solid comedic delivery.