Apocalyptic Insanity

Rating: 8/10 (22 September 2013)

The most obvious thing you will know about This is The End is it's an apocalyptic comedy with its stars playing themselves. It sounded like a gimmick for them to just have fun in the midst of destruction. While there's dope tripping and endless vulgarity, the film is surprisingly able to find its own heart underneath the craziness. But of course, this is all about joining the survival of these popular comedians as they mess around the situation. There are kinds of audiences that will enjoy this very much, while the rest of the viewers may also tag along only if they can. But really, this movie is so likable no matter how crude these people can be.
Predictably, the plot fills their usual thing: slapstick, constant phallic humor, and more drugs; plus some humorous gore, inside jokes, and apocalyptic mockeries. If you're a fan of this kind of comedy, then definitely you'll get a limitless joy within the disasters. But the film is funnier when the cast is simply making fun of themselves by trying to find a way to survive, like making stupid decisions and cry for their hilariously unreasonable complains and demands. Since that's whole point of this, I guess it succeeds as the best part of the film's humor. Even inside James Franco's house is as chaotic as what's happening outside of the end of the world. It's pure insanity.
Besides of its ridiculousness, the film actually has a story in its characters. It mainly focuses on the friendship of Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen. Their bromance at least gives this insane apocalypse some sense which keeps the experience from being a completely vapid outrageous comedy. It's not the most compelling one either but it adds sweetness through the disasters going on. The cast sure loves mocking around, but the other side of Baruchel calms the idiocy down a bit and gives most of the heart of the film; while Seth Rogen and James Franco do their usual comedy part which is pleasurable enough to watch. Craig Robinson and Jonah Hill also had some memorable laughs. And finally, Danny McBride steals all of his scenes.
This is The End is nothing more than a self-indulged fan service, but it somehow succeeds for being smartly dumb and at least makes it up to itself after the endless amount of crudity. I mean imagine, what's better than an apocalyptic movie starring Bruce Willis or John Cusack? Definitely an apocalyptic movie starring a bunch of high on pot manchildren. And both do have in common: it has self-redeeming characters who make preposterous ways to survive. The difference is this is a comedy. All of the stupidity is indeed in purpose, almost like spoof of the genre without referencing much about its other movies. Well, self-awareness is always respectable to everyone. Anything else, This is The End is a fun time at the movies. It actually lives up to its promise, and it seems a full scale of ridiculous is already enough for this to be a solid entertainment.