Today I bought a Milky Way. I bought it because I like it, even thought I don’t like what it does to me. This is the thought process I have as I try to figure out why it is I love This Is the End.
This is the End is a post apocalyptic comedy where we get to spend the first few days of the end of days with all those guys from Pineapple Express, and Jay Baruchel. Because, when the world ends don’t you want to be at James Franco‘s house hanging out? I guess…
The film plays a dual role, it’s part spoof and part just general satire. The likes of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig “Take Your Panties Off” Robinson, James Franco, Danny McBride and Jay Baruchel all get to play caracitures of themselves for the sake of taking stabs at what the media (and we to some extent) have assumed their real personas are like by deciding to play it out in this ridiculous setting where drug induced sequences equate to six men having the equivalent of a rave in the main space of Franco’s crazed designed home and the film is allowed to literally kill off every other Apatow/Rogen/Comedy related talent that exists in the world previously initiated by these talents.
The problems with this movie however are many. It’s at times overly long, it reduces itself to a cameo gag way too often, and is generally too into itself with it’s dick humour and girly man-itis (please insert Schwarzenegger voice over here). The film reeks of general ‘guys having so much fun making it they may not quite care how it comes out’ tendencies. The most important question one should ask yourself as your walking into watch this movie is “will I care about this?” and if your answer is no, like mine was, then you’re golden.
If you think about this, it’s probably the new wave of the Adam Sandler group that populates the now sad Grown Ups franchise (how is that a franchise people?). Rogen and crew have cultivated a small group of friends that know whats funny, they know what’s funny about them and what’s funny about the world’s perception of them. They quickly integrate the idea of what they find funny with all of that and generally just run with it.
ouch. you know, your review is exactly what it looks like, despite the overwhelming praise it has received. thanks for the honest take.
It is… it is also really funny at times, especially the final act (which I refuse to spoil)