Doomsday has never been this funny

Rating: 8/10 (15 June 2013)

The new comedy, "This Is The End," is a brilliant parody that shows us how a small group of privileged, self-absorbed Hollywood celebrities would react if they had to try and survive an apocalyptic nightmare.
The movie's most brilliant conceit is having the actors all play themselves. It centers on a group of friends who've all co-starred together in various Judd Apatow projects. (Oddly enough, Apatow does not get a producer's credit on the movie.) They're gathered at James Franco's house for a party when all hell – literally – breaks loose. Several recognizable stars perish in the first act, and the survivors – Seth Rogen, Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride and Jay Baruchel – barricade themselves inside Franco's ultra-modern Hollywood Hills mansion as the Book of Revelations unfolds outside the front door.
These guys aren't used to being even slightly uncomfortable, let alone forced to live without basic necessities like food and water. Seeing these coddled creatures suddenly thrown into survivor mode is fodder for lots of comedy. The bickering over who gets to eat the house's lone Three Musketeers bar is classic. But mostly, the dilemma serves as a jumping off point for lots of wild, raunchy, sometimes surreal laugh-until-you're-gasping-for-air humor. It's a genuinely hilarious film, one helped by the fact he actors aren't afraid to poke fun at themselves and send-up their public personas and previous big-screen performances. After a while, though, even jokes at their own expense get old. Comedies work best 90-minutes at a time. At 107-minutes, the premise does start to wear a little thin.
While the movie is about celebrities, at its core "This Is The End," is a relatable story about friendship. The central relationship is between Rogen and Baruchel as they struggle to keep their (on-screen) bromance strong as they grow apart and their careers go in different directions. Rogen co-wrote and co-directed the movie with his childhood friend, Evan Goldberg and their portrayal of friendship feels honest and real, despite the unreal circumstances in which the characters find themselves. (Watching the movie, I couldn't help but wonder if the pair drew on their own friendship for inspiration and if Baruchel – the least known of the actors – is merely a surrogate for Goldberg.) Your friendships say a lot about who you are, and a person's innate goodness and worthiness becomes a major theme. But it's unlikely you'll walk out of the theater reflecting upon any of that. What will probably stay with you are the dick jokes. And I get the feeling that's just fine with Rogen and the gang.