'This is The End' Review

Opening with Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel getting high and playing video games and closing with a Backstreet Boys concert live from... Heaven, this film feels like one big trip from the get-go.

The film takes place at James Franco's housewarming party, with a long, long list of celebrity guests that ranges from Rihanna to Michael Cera. Everything is running smoothly until the apocalypse begins, killing off most of the guests of the party through a giant sinkhole on Franco's front lawn. We are left with Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson and later on Danny McBride as our stars of the film willing to take on the apocalypse readily and intelligently.. sort of.

In a film where the actors are playing themselves, there was a chance that the film could be egotistical and seem false, luckily this was not the case with This is The End, and the performances by the six actors were believable and hilarious, with countless 'inside' jokes being thrown about in regards to the actor's 'real' lives and previous films. It could be a little distracting for those audience members who are not familiar with the actor's personal lives and filmographies, however, with a homemade Pineapple Express 2 being made halfway through the film, and numerous references to James Franco's love of abstract art etc, however I feel the feel is able to stand alone, with plenty of non-related comedy scenes and a fun plot to keep all audience members involved.

The film lacks deeper substance that a group of friends fighting the apocalypse, as one can imagine, however this does not take away from the brilliance of the film. Perhaps the main point being made in this film is that comedy is an art form in itself and the fact that the film made you laugh is good enough for the creators. Written and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, the creators of the wonderful Pineapple Express and Superbad, the film is created by some of the top guns of comedy at the moment, and the wild adventure the film takes you on is completely out-shined by the smaller moments of comedic interactions between the actors that Goldberg and Rogen have proved they are the brilliant at with their past collaborations. 

All in all, the film was a lot of fun. Seeing actors play 'themselves' in a completely alien situation was refreshingly enjoyable to watch. The film boasts some of the most raw, comedic interactions I have seen for a few years and I, along with the friends I took, thoroughly enjoyed the film.