A Resurgence for Rogan and Pals

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2013)

Five years ago, the Hollywood movie scene was in love with Seth Rogan and his band of unconventionally lax co-stars. In the time that's passed, the comedy group has put out more misses than hits. Fans were clamoring for the guys to get back together and work on projects that included the familiar faces that made films like "Knocked Up" and "Superbad" so hugely successful with movie-goers. And after half a decade, our dreams have come true, as Rogan, Franco, Hill, McBride, Robinson, and Buruchel come together in this dream-team apocalyptic comedy. We're even lucky enough to see the likes of Michael Cera, Jason Segal, Paul Rudd, & Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
But you have to get past the 'wow' factor of all that star power. After all, it sure didn't help films like "Valentine's Day" in terms of quality. Actually, more often than not, it can do a lot to hinder the quality, and what you're left with is a miscast, over-budgeted film with less-than-desired character development and screen time that's unevenly distributed for the sake of getting the biggest names involved a good chunk of the spotlight. This film really breaks the mold.
This is the End not only delivers us the very best of this generation's biggest comedians, it also brings something very original and unique to the table. The film stars each actor as themselves, and takes us to the world of fame, fortune, and Hollywood partying. Jay Buruchel, not a fan of the wild, fast-paced Los Angeles lifestyle, visits the city to spend time with Seth Rogan, who's adopted the scene as his own through his success in recent years, along with some famous new friends. Buruchel is reluctant to go to a big Hollywood party at James Franco's house, but goes anyway as a favor to Rogan.
This film portrays the two main characters the way you would expect them to be in real life, which is great because it won't take you long to invest in the characters if you've followed their respective movie careers closely enough. The other actors all have a unique twist, (with the exception of maybe Robinson) which is also good because it shows the men in a new (usually hilarious) light - and provides a bit of suspense in discovering new sides to very familiar shapes.
The acting is great for what the movie is. It isn't phenomenal, and you shouldn't expect it to be based on the silly premise of the movie and the catalog of performances by each of the film's main characters through the years. This film provides some of the best comedy I've seen since the 'golden age' of last decade though, and it's downright hysterical.
Having said all of that it's nothing groundbreaking in the world of comedy. It's definitely something new, and breathes new life into the comedy careers of the main stars of this film. The nostalgia is incredible on top of that, as most fans of these guys have been waiting a long time to see them paired up again in some fashion or another. For many like myself, hope of seeing something as funny as the movies that introduced all of these stars to the world of comedy was beginning to fade, and a lot of us began to wonder if they had lost their touch and played all of their best cards already. This film not only debunks that, but it makes two things vividly clear - Rogan needs to write more of his own movies, and these guys have plenty left in the tank.