I’ve been shocked by reactions to This Is The End on two separate occasions. The first was after I’d seen the movie (three times) and a male acquaintance was shocked that a girl would even like it, let alone be as obsessed with it as I am. “It’s a total guy movie” he assured me. Okay, well besides the fact that I would marry any one of the six main actors/comedians, it’s just really, really funny. Like hilarious funny. Like the best comedy since Superbad was in theaters funny. The second occasion was when I heard several people refusing to see the movie because of prejudice against “mainstream” comedies. Just because Seth Rogen isn’t considered “indie” or cool for hipsters to like (anymore) doesn’t mean that his comedy is any different from when you loved him in Freaks and Geeks. Honestly, I was just confused as to why someone would deprive themselves of all the joy and happiness that is inevitable when watching this movie.
In case you haven’t already heard, the premise is pretty simple. A bunch of celebrities play themselves at a party at James Franco’s new house when the apocalypse happens. The world starts ending, people die, and then we’re left with six of Hollywood’s funniest: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride. I know that it’s fun to hate James Franco right now, but it gets really hard when you’re watching this movie. His subtle humor and weird affection for Seth Rogen goes a long way and I’d be shocked if he wasn’t adored by America again after people see this. Similarly, I think Danny McBride was really strong in his usual but amazing role of being the asshole in the house. Many of his lines were improvised, and finding this out after I watched the movie for the first time only made me respect and appreciate him so much more. I could honestly go on and on praising every member of the cast because everyone was just so fucking great. It was especially cool to have Jay Baruchel in the starring role because I didn’t really have an opinion about him before, plus I personally related to the socially awkward, annoyed-with-everyone-at-the-party thing he had going on. Same goes for Craig Robinson, who I realized is just a giant teddy bear.
When I think about favorite moments from the movie, I immediately think: Michael Cera, who plays himself during the opening party scene. I don’t want to give it away, so all I’ll say is that he’s definitely cast the opposite of what he usually is and he pulls it off beautifully (so lol at everyone who basically said that he’s a one-trick pony). There really isn’t a dull moment to this movie; the dialogue is superb, the actors are incredibly, and the plot stays solid throughout the duration. Basically, you can expect a homemade sequel to Pineapple Express, an exorcism, and an astoundingly funny cum fight. What more could you want?
