This Is The Review
Director: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Running Time: 107 minutes
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robertson, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Emma Watson
One of the sad truths that many people will encounter is that just because a group of stars, or a singular star, that you like appears in a film, it doesn't amount to the films overall quality. It was evident with Movie 43 and The Monuments Men, and is very much apparent with This Is The End.
Jay Baruchel travels to L.A to visit his buddy Seth Rogen, and the two move onto a star-filled party hosted by James Franco. Things begin as a passable satire of Hollywood and its stars, with Jonah Hill passing off thinly-veiled insults behind a mask of niceties, and showing off pictures of the dog he adopted. Michael Cera proves to be the standout, taking the awkward image he's adopted through his many film and TV appearances and flipping it on its head, to play a drugged out, unlikeable sex fiend who uses the bathroom for orgies and blows cocaine into peoples faces.
| Perhaps a group viewing of Maleficent wasn't the best idea |
Things then take a turn as the patrons shockingly discover the apocalypse has occurred, with the ground opening up to swallow most of the partygoers, many of whom seem to only make an appearance in order to be killed off. Jay and Seth then find themselves trapped in a house with Franco, Jonah Hill and Craig Robertson, only to later discover Danny McBride is also with them.
It is through this that things rapidly go downhill, as any attempt at satire are lost for a preference of lazy gags that rely on swears and crude gestures, as opposed to anything resembling wit. One lesson that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg can take away from this loss of their directorial virginity is to not hold back during the editing process, as too many of the scenes run on for a much longer pace than was needed to the point they become tiresome to watch.
This Is The End holds promise in its premise, meshing of genres and its talented cast, but squanders them for lazy, crude gags, an overuse of swears and too many drawn out scenes.
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