This Is the End (2013) User Reviews

How to make a stoner comedy with a bunch of friends and turn it into a smart, shrewd and hilarious statement on humanity

[napierslogs · 8/10 · 16 June 2013]

A vanity project for a bunch of Hollywood's highest paid comedic actors, playing themselves in a "stoner comedy". So how do you make that good? By making it an hilarious, smart, insightful, satirical and scathing commentary on religion, celebrity and Los Angeles. And how do you make that successful? By making it a stoner comedy about a hapless group of actors saying and doing the stupidest things.

It actually starts out pretty slowly with a lame story being introduced. Jay Baruchel comes to LA to hang out with his friend Seth Rogen who wants to hang out with his friends James Franco, Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson, but Jay doesn't like his friends and he doesn't think that they like him. Sounds kind of lame doesn't it? The party at James Franco's house delivers the ridiculous, raunchy comedy which the target audience craves but it doesn't yet include the intelligence which the rest of the audience is applauding.

It seems like everybody in Hollywood is at James Franco's house. Michael Cera is doing coke, Jonah Hill is being friendly and everybody else is finding another drug to imbibe. While Jay and Seth are off to buy cigarettes, the Heavens open up and the Earth caves in. And then the real fun begins. Knowing the title of the film, or having read the bible, or really having seen any loose interpretation of the apocalypse, it's pretty obvious what is happening. And we get our first glimpse of the film's take on the celebrity culture and what it does (and what will eventually happen) to those at the center of it.

Our heroes aren't quite sure what's going on. Remember, they are actors in Hollywood. It's probably an earthquake, or it could be a zombie invasion, or it could be the end of the world as described in the New Testament's Revelation. But who believes that stuff?

The majority of the film takes place with our five actors holed up in James Franco's house – which is like a cement cave designed by himself since he's an artist. The jokes are vulgar, crass, silly but also incredibly insightful into who they are and the result is a perfectly written self-parody. You have to get past a lot of penis jokes, but once you do, you'll find an under-current tackling the issues of celebrity status but also of celebrities' biggest detractors, the religious congregation. I don't think "This Is the End" will be successfully duplicated any time soon, but I also don't foresee the apocalypse hitting any time soon.

Hilarious and original, which is all it was meant to be.

[Degeuss · 7/10 · 4 November 2013]

Although 'This is the end' does not have the greatest storyline in the history of film, it is a very inventive movie in its own way. The fact that every actor and actress plays him or herself makes the movie quite original and refreshing. Besides that, there is also the fact that the makers took an overused theme, the end of the world, and made it completely their own.

'This is the end' hasn't failed a second to make me laugh. It is a very clever and entertaining comedy, with hilarious and dirty dialogues. I do have to admit, however, that the storyline can feel a little bit too ridiculous from time to time, even for this kind of movie. The acting in the movie was not that spectacular, but the actors involved were all born for this kind of movie.

For anyone who can truly appreciate a hilarious movie which is made specifically to humor and entertain people, and has no other hidden agenda whatsoever, this is definitely a must watch.

You have to know going in how plot less and ridiculous it will be.

[crack_biggums · 8/10 · 19 June 2013]

I was actually surprised that it was better than I thought it was going to be. I think too many movie-goers hyped it up in their heads that this movie was going to be the most epic comedy of all time. I went in knowing how dumb it was going to be and found it really funny at parts and I liked the dark comedy eased with more immature slapstick comedy. A lot of these negative reviews I've read either have some kind of religious agenda against this movie or were people trying to measure how big their cinema knowledge penis is by citing great foreign films and comparing how much it falls short. It's a stoner comedy made by stoner nerd's that happened to find success and are probably just as baffled as these harsh critics are as to how they achieved it. In a movie filled with celebrity cameos and over the top CGI and humor, it felt to me like it was still a down to Earth movie they probably spent 30 minutes writing and had a blast filming and getting friends together and showed Hollywood excess from the point of view of the outsiders. If you were offended or wrote this movie off because it wasn't up to your standards, you're not the audience this movie had any intention of appeasing. It's obviously a cult comedy that some will love and most will hate which sometimes are the best comedies. It wasn't quite up there with the writer's and actor's other modern day classics but it was totally enjoyable and worth watching again.

If you love these actors, you'll love the movie!

[ashhhroy · 3 May 2013]

If you've seen Superbad, Pineapple Express, etc., then you know the type of humor this movie will have. I, for one, could watch James Franco, Seth Rogan, and Danny McBride leisurely eat a sandwich and manage to laugh my butt off. Thankfully this movie is much more exciting than that. It's brilliant that they all just play themselves and manage to poke fun at their own lifestyles. Expect weed and drug humor of course. The plot sets itself up for hilarity, as they all take refuge in James Franco's fortress of a mansion while the world outside them goes up in flames. Cabin fever mixed with dwindling supplies results in hilarious situations and good one liners.

The movie made me laugh extremely hard and had all my favorite people in one film. I only wouldn't recommend this film if you're uptight and religious.

Funny, but starts to drag

[u2nspenserfan · 7/10 · 17 June 2013]

Alas, it is the fate of so many comedies - the first half of the movie is great and funny, the second half is 'meh' as the director tries to figure out how to resolve the story lines. I laughed a lot in the first half of this movie - it's so over-the-top and ridiculous that you can't help but laugh. If I were rating the 1st half, I'd give it about a 9/10.

The second half was a different story. Though it had a handful of funny moments, it seemed to drag and was a predictable mess IMO - maybe a 5/10. The first-half comedy was enough to make up for some of that, so I give it a 7/10 overall.

Great humour!

[annashort · 7/10 · 1 June 2016]

I don't know what all the bad reviews are about. I loved the idea of using the actors' real names but creating alternate personalities. The humour is great, and special effects are rather realistic! Also, I particularly loved Michael Cera and Paul Rudd's appearances! Great job to the writers, directors and actors. For me, this was the perfect combination of comedy, horror and sci-fi. There was a sense of doom throughout, especially with the wide shots of LA, which made me feel quite uncomfortable, but then there was plenty of comic relief.

I don't often laugh at movies, but if you're looking for a relaxed, light comedy, I would recommend this film.

Hilarious for the right audience

[Faristuta · 10/10 · 4 November 2019]

Is this movie silly? Yes. Is it packed with toilet humor? Yes. Do you see the erect (and later, flaccid) penis of a monster? Yes. Is there an important take-home message you get from watching it? Absolutely not. So why am I giving it 10 stars? Because it made me laugh uncontrollably. Maybe I'm different but even cheap laughs are good laughs.

This is the End review

[perkowski-szymon · 7/10 · 3 November 2013]

I'm pretty sure everyone has their own vision of how the world is going to end. Biblical Apocalypse? Nuclear war? Hit of a meteor? No matter how, the way of surviving it in 'This is the End' is by far the best I've seen on-screen.

The concept of the movie is rather simple - have a bunch of celebrities fighting for their life during the Apocalypse. It starts off rather inconspicuously - Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen after spending a day on smoking weed and playing video games head to party at James Franco's new mansion. There are way too many cameos to include all of them in this review, but the most memorable ones are definitely Emma Watson (you need to see Hermione with an axe), Danny McBride and Michael Cera. However, they are mere additions to the main course of 'Pineapple Express'-like buddy comedy featuring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson.

I wouldn't say the plot is non-existent, but it certainly isn't developed enough to pay much attention to it. The movie is rather a collection of gags with typical American humor, which is exactly what you would expect from anything created by the duo Seth Rogen-Evan Goldberg. But what's more, it is fairly obvious that the whole crew had so much fun making this movie. Be it playing soccer with a severed head, fighting over a Milky Way or filming the sequel to 'Pineapple Express' (hands down my favorite part of the movie) - it all seems to be pure fun to these guys. And it's amazing, because this atmosphere of good fun is passed to the audience. Plus it's nice to see big Hollywood names not taking themselves too seriously.

'This is the End' contains a fair amount of satire on the posh world of show-business. It also has a very simple, yet not so dumb message. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's anything overly ambitious or a piece of art that would leave you thinking about your life or state of the world. However, it makes the movie a bit better. That's always a good thing, right?

Overall, it's a very fun watch, especially if you have some friends and beer with you. It's simple - if you liked previous movies by Rogen- Goldberg, you're going to fall in love with this one. If you didn't - well, it's still worth a try.

For more reviews check: www.altentertainment.blogspot.co.uk

A devil put aside for me

[Ric-7 · 9/10 · 12 June 2013]

I thoroughly enjoyed the film, though in retrospect, I am not sure if it is really a great film--there's not much to compare it to. One thing's for certain: this film is not "just like" any other film you could name. It is one of the funniest films I have seen in quite a while. And I am probably going to miss the Rapture as a result of my enjoyment.

The film has graphic sex talk and graphic violence. The dialog could hardly be any nastier. And of course, hardly more sacrilegious. However, despite all of that, the film is surprisingly good-natured.

This is not a film for children or for family viewing. Anyone who is squeamish or easily offended should stay away.

And don't automatically assume that anyone over 40 would not like this film. I'm over 60; I had a great time. So I saw it a second time, and loved it even more.

It was alright. It had a few funny bits.

[gregdeon1972 · 6/10 · 2 July 2013]

It was alright. It had a few funny bits.

It was alright.

This movie was awful, self indulgent and funny maybe twice in two hours.

[ohgoddammit · 1/10 · 11 June 2013]

This movie simply wasn't funny. It dragged on interminably, scenes with little comedic value got dragged out for far too long presumably because the directors (and main featured actors) were too high while making this steaming pile of wasted time.

We get it. You like to do drugs and are generally wastes of humanity and oxygen on this planet. This movie isn't funny though. There have been many funny drug movies made, and made by funny people on drugs. Super Troopers was funny, Cheech and Chong was funny, Half Baked was funny, this was not funny.

This movie is a nauseating bromantic drama pretending to be a comedy. I expected the two main characters to start making out at the end. Not that there would be anything intrinsically wrong with that, in fact it would've been cathartic since they so obviously were in love with each other.

The two funniest actors in the movie, Ansari and Cera, die within the first ten minutes and all you're left with is a weak cast and weaker script.

I want Seth Rogen to give me my money back, though the two wasted hours of my life are something no one can ever give back. Movies like this make me not want to see movies in theaters anymore, because had I known what I was going in for from trailers and the publicity, I never would have bothered seeing this train wreck.

I wish I could give this movie zero out of ten stars.

I guess some people really like this stuff, but I'll be avoiding Seth's movies like the plague in the future.

Sinkhole de Mayo

[ghost_dog86 · 9/10 · 12 June 2013]

Why isn't Jay Baruchel in more things?! Well, more relevant things. I mean "Goon" was a really good movie, but how many people saw that? The writing team that brought you "Superbad", Seth Rogen and the very hit and miss Evan Goldberg, come together once again to write and direct this film. Adapted from a 2007 short by Goldberg, Rogen and Baruchel entitled Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse, "This Is the End" has one of the most simplistically brilliant plot lines in film history. Basically, Rogen, Baruchel and every other comedic actor you can think of (all playing themselves) attend a party at James Franco's house…and then the world ends. This plays out like an elongated Funny or Die skit. The only difference being that "This Is the End" is consistently funny.

There is actually a subplot dealing with Rogan and Baruchel growing apart as friends which works really well (in "Superbad"-esque fashion) only because of the construction of the script and some rather genuine chemistry from its two leads. And can I take a minute to talk about how well this film looks for being both Rogen and Goldberg's directorial debuts? I mean, aside from the onslaught of funny one-liners, this end-of-days film looks like a million bucks (in a good way). Even when some of the CGI does slip into a cartoonish realm, like seasoned vets, Rogen and Goldberg maintain the tonal atmosphere befitting each scene; be it a high octane chase sequence or a few well placed dance sequences.

Side Note: When I say everybody is in this movie, I do mean EVERYBODY. But the cameo that clearly steals the show is from Michael Cera in his most outlandishly crass and hilarious role ever; a performance that is almost worth the price of admission alone. Trust me. If you weren't a Cera fan before, which is supremely understandable with him being the most annoying kind of Canadian and all, then you will be after this.

"This Is the End" is what every person paying $11 for their movie ticket should expect, but rarely gets from a modern comedy. It's not only an adult comedy that actually contains non-stop laughs for a change, but "This Is the End" is the funniest movie since "40 Year Old Virgin". This also is a much needed return to comedic form for Rogan and to a lesser extent Jonah Hill (only because "21 Jump Street" was pretty funny) and clearly is the funniest movie the rest of this cast has been a part of by far. Hell, even Danny McBride is hilarious here. And we all know how much I hate Danny McBride.

Final Thought: There are so many memorable one-liners in this movie, it is sure to become an instant comedy classic. And why most of these jokes work is because they are so self-deprecating. Yes, THIS IS about 20 minutes too long and it is essentially a movie full of phallic and weed tangents, but when it comes right down to it "This Is the End" is a comedy which contains very few bits that don't work (mostly coming near the end) and is drowned in laugh out loud moments from minute one, to a finale that blows the one in "Bridesmaids" right out of the water. I hate to constantly pick on "Bridesmaids" (well, hate is such a strong word) but Kristen Wiig and crew should really take note on how a real comedy like "This Is the End" constructs a final sequence. I'm just saying.

Hilarious at first, but loses steam as it goes along

[gregeichelberger · 6/10 · 19 June 2013]

Wow. Who knew the End of Days would be filled with giant sinkholes, oversexed demons, the proliferation of the "F" word and a cameo appearance by the Backstreet Boys bathed in a thick haze of burnt high-grade weed?

And who knew how the final judgment would affect a group of young comic actors, including James Franco ("127 Hours"), Jonah Hill ("21 Jump Street"), Seth Rogen ("The Guilt Trip"), Jay Baruchel ("The Sorcerer's Apprentice"), Craig Robinson ("The Office" TV series) and Danny McBride ("Your Highness")? Based on a concept created by co-director Rogen (along with Evan Goldberg, both of whom also co-wrote) and Baruchel from 2010, "This Is the End" features the cast playing themselves at a housewarming party for Franco.

At it a dozen or so more recognizable celebrities also appear, such as Emma Watson (most recently, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"), Michael Cera ("Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"), Mindy Kaling (also from "The Office" TV series), Channing Tatum ("G.I. Joe: Retaliation"), Paul Rudd ("Wanderlust"), Rihanna, Jason Segel ("The Five-Year Engagement") and Christopher Mintz-Plasse ("Movie 43"), among others.

Unfortunately, the festivities don't last very long though and most of the party-goers are dispatched quickly as earthquakes, explosions, massive sinkholes and firestorms strike the Hollywood hills wiping out most of the population not suddenly taken to Heaven in radiant blue steaks of light.

Left to their own devices, the five barricade themselves inside and try to come to grips with what's going on. Baruchel, in his infinite wisdom, comes to an early conclusion that this is the Apocalypse and if they will turn to God, they will be saved and instantly ascend into Paradise. The others don't quite agree, so there are various scenes of panic, fear, fighting, backstabbing, drug abuse and demonic possession during the bulk of this end-of-world sleepover (some situations more humorous than others).

Watson, after disappearing during the initial craziness, returns in a very funny sequence (although fans of her Hermione character might have some trouble accepting her dropping the "F" bomb several times), while Michael Cera plays a coked-up, obnoxious jerk (far removed from his real-life persona).

Also, the jokes come fast and furious, many laced with profanity (obviously), often self-depreciating and referencing and insulting the films made by the cast ("Pineapple Express," "Superbad," "Moneyball," etc.).

These illicit some genuine guffaws, but the longer "This Is the End" plays (and it plays two hours — far too long for a comedy), the more violent, weird and less humorous it becomes, until it finally concludes in a heaven-like atmosphere straight out of "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life."

Of course, when a film is dealing with the end of the world, there is not a lot of wiggle room and even in this current age of motion picture excess, the fire-scorched landscapes, smoke-filled atmosphere and 200-foot "Cloverfield" monstrosities seem way over the top. A message of biblical salvation, however, is certainly an interesting addition particularly in light of current feelings toward Christianity in Hollywood and especially in a movie like this.

Despite the ad libbing and improvisation, there is a semblance of a plot, with Baruchel and Rogen being childhood friends from Canada trying to reconnect, while Hill is attempting to just make a basic connection with the introverted Baruchel. Meanwhile, McBride arrives later to become a major thorn, eating most of their spare food and wasting much of their water.

It's not always snicker out loud (like last year's "Ted") nor is it a Billy Wilder masterpiece of wry and wit, but overall — after months of complaining about the definite dearth of comedies — this author has to admit that while "This Is the End" is not perfect, it is certainly funny, for the most part. And even though the laughs become fewer and fewer as the movie goes along, there are more than enough to give this comedy a slightly hearty recommendation.

Unbearable

[Kleighh · 17 June 2014]

I wish I could give it a rating lower than 1! If you are looking for something intelligent or a good storyline, don't watch this. This is supposed to be a comedy, I may have blown some air out my nose in amusement near the beginning, that was the extent of what I found funny in the movie.

I like the actors in this film and when I started watching it, I thought it would be good fun. Not even half way into the movie I was just wishing it would end! If you are a Christian, it is not a good idea to watch this, it's so full of blasphemy, I found it unbearable. I always finish a movie, no matter how boring or stupid, this is the closest I've come to stopping the movie.

Hysterically Stupid

[tkdlifemagazine · 7/10 · 16 September 2022]

This comedy where the main stars play versions of themselves is not believable; however, it is very funny. Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, and Craig Robinson are very funny. Danny McBride is viciously brilliant. The film involves a gathering of these stars and friends amidst an apocalyptic event that is the end of the world-thus the title of the film. That event is just the catalyst to expose the shortcomings and quirky behavior of the stars-and it works. There are a ton of cameos from Rhianna to Jason Schwartzman. Michael Cera is very, very funny in the short time he is in it. So is Emma Watson. The story and special effects are not what this movie is about.

Solid but not Rogan's best

[stevejacobs-99 · 7/10 · 18 June 2022]

Classic franco and rogan film. Crass, immature and endlessly quotable. Doesn't feel quite as polished as pineapple express or some of their other frat classics. Overall solid but the ending could have been better.

One of the best comedies I've ever seen!!!

[ramtinsirous · 10/10 · 2 November 2013]

Okay, we all have seen a lot of comedy movies but they were not good as we expected. Or we always had to wait for a scene to laugh and t only made us to smile a little bit! This is the End is a great movie! Surprisingly good. They are a lot of scenes that you get surprised and that makes you laugh hard. The plot of the story is based on true character names and that makes you wonder are they really the same person in the real life? It was confusing because some part of the movie was exactly about the real characteristics of the actors and that's what I like about the movie! I think this comedy is far one of the best comedies I've ever seen. Highly RECOMMENDED!!! 10/10

Stupid, Stupid, Funny, Stupid

[Karenina-34062 · 6/10 · 23 May 2020]

As the title of this review says - a little too much stupid. But then again, it certainly has its moments, no doubt about that.

best comedy of the year so far

[Rage-Kage · 8/10 · 24 June 2013]

I saw this movie opening weekend but did not review it right away because I was not sure of what I thought of it. It was not really what I was expecting. I was expecting a raunchy but light hearted comedy that took light of a bad situation but instead the apocalypse in this movie is taken very seriously. I was not so sure I liked that. But I've had over a week to think on it and I have decided that Overall I really enjoyed watching This is the End.

I love the cast I think everyone in this movie is talented and really funny. They all have such great chemistry together but also all have something of their own to offer. The funniest part of the movie for me and my friends I think was a several minute long back and forth between Danny Mcbride and James Franco but I would watch the movie again for that scene alone So overall This is the End is a really fun over the top movie.

I give This is the End an 8/10

Hilarious

[andrewklocek · 7/10 · 13 July 2013]

Overall this movie was pretty good, and super funny. I don't recall another time when I actually laughed out loud numerous times throughout a movie. The only reason this movie was so funny is the cast, if you put a whole different cast in the exact same story line with the exact same lines it would be a horrible movie. There was a couple things I didn't like though. Like Jonah Hills personality in the movie was so annoying, this was probably my least favorite roll he has played.

SPOILER The Funniest part by far was when James Franco was arguing with Danny Mcbride about cumming in his magazine. I was Rofling in the theatre. I really hope they do some kind of sequel but I don't know how they would considering what happened to everybody.

THE END didn't come quick enough for me

[blackismylove · 1/10 · 27 June 2013]

I don't want to waste time dragging down this review like the movie did, so I'll mention some key elements.

Most of the movie was ad lib, they've admitted it. These are not theater actors, they're film actors. They're not trained to be good at doing things "off the cuff." There WERE parts that were funny, but they were too few and far apart. The humor was sort of a slap in the face to my intelligence. I was more offended that I was expected to be entertained than I was the actual raunchy jokes. It was like a high school project with a really big budget.

Slap in the face #2. It was like watching a really long commercial. The characters actually fight over who gets to eat the milky way and describe why they love the product so much. Seriously? Aside from those things, there were a lot of little crappy plot devices that were way too forced. Why is Noah suddenly getting raped by Satan? Why does Franco's new multi million dollar concrete "fortress" home collapse within minutes catching fire, and why does it have a basement you can only access from outside? The overwhelming success of this movie in only its second week is proof that the standards of young movie goers is almost non existent. Better movies get drowned out because the industry is so over-saturated by crap like this, so in a sense, you can say that movies like this really are actually part of "the end."

So Funny and Entertaining

[hitndip789 · 10/10 · 23 April 2013]

I was fortunate enough to watch a screening today in Miami and let me just point out, this movie is exactly what you would expect from Seth Rogen in terms of comedy. Its non stop laughing from the opening scene to closing. Everything about this movie is great, the story, the actors, and the comedy. Having such funny actors like James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson playing themselves all in one movie just makes it that more entertaining. If you liked the comedy in Superbad and Pineapple Express, you will love This Is the End. I recommend this movie to everyone who has a sense of humor. Like everyone that stood in line with me to watch it almost two months early, you wont regret it. 10/10

A Worthy End

[cultfilmfreaksdotcom · 7/10 · 12 June 2013]

Seth Rogen has been accused of always playing himself and now he's doing it for real. Wouldn't you know he's not much different from his fictional characters, but here's a much better movie than usual...

Meeting with buddy/actor Jay Baruchel, who's reluctantly flown to Los Angeles, the two hang out at Seth's pad, smoke pot and have intentionally banal conversations. This suits Jay just fine, but there's a big party being thrown by actor James Franco in his brand new super duper sized mansion.

The beginning of THIS IS THE END isn't very funny. With forced jokes and real life actors partying hard, the only true investment is the moping Jay, wanting nothing to do with anything Hollywood. His wish comes true but surely not in this fashion: When Jay and Seth go for cigarettes and munchies at the local liquor store, a formidable earthquake opens up the ground: people are either sucked inside fiery sinkholes or vacuumed into the heavens by bright blue laser beams.

Eventually the only worthwhile (yet literally God forsaken) humans left behind are as follows: Seth, Jay and their actor buddies Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and James Franco, whose mansion has become a survival compound from outside elements including an unseen creature dwelling amongst the ravenous netherworld. Meanwhile, behind boarded up doors, the guys are still just as shallow yet their narcissistic diatribes are a little funnier now that there's something… or everything… to lose.

Danny McBride, who happened to crash out in Franco's bathroom the night before, turns up the next morning and becomes the party animal/loon our boys didn't need, but the audience will appreciate. From wasting rations of food and water to pleasuring himself at will, Danny's the kind of raunchy comic relief that this already raunchy comedy yearns for. Through his unpredictable behavior he even brings the gang closer together. Even HARRY POTTER ingénue Emma Watson turns up sporadically, and she's not to be messed with.

While the abundantly overboard humor is hit and miss, soul-searching dialogue tends to drone on, and several classic homages are wasted on younger audiences (like ROSEMARY'S BABY), the best aspects are the stuff we don't see at first… What exactly is that roaring creature outside? Is this a biblical or zombie apocalypse, or both? And which actor will buy the farm?

In a nutshell, THIS IS THE END succeeds in what's gonna happen next… And be prepared since just about everything does... and then some.

This is a Big Let Down

[petrosinorobertm · 3/10 · 17 June 2013]

I feel like I saw a different movie than everyone else. It's simply not funny, I think I laughed once. We really don't need to see a erect, giant, detailed, graphic phallus in every movie, it's not funny. Then to have to sit through an extended portion of Satan walking around with his junk out is not funny and not needed. I'm not prudish but this movie adds male genitals just to do it, it was a lame movie. Write something creative like 40-year old virgin. This movie was lamer than Pineapple Express and Your Highness. If you expect the wit of Knocked Up, you'll be as disappointed as me. Save your money.

None of the characters in the film are likable in the least, and they are supposed to be playing themselves. I do not know why people are treating Seth Rogen like he is incapable of mailing it in because This Is The End is lazy and feels like it was mailed in to fulfill an obligation to the movie studio. I also feel cheated by the excellent reviews this movie received from the paid critics. How did anyone find this trash funny?

Comedy of the year... so far

[chris-949-613880 · 9 July 2013]

There's one scene in This Is the End, where James Franco and Danny McBride arguing, when I snorted from laughing so hard.

Even though it's embarrassing, it's been a long time since I've literally laughed out loud at the movies. Actually, it's been a long time since there's been a laugh-out-loud comedy at all – the last one was probably The Hangover.

This Is the End is so utterly ridiculous and completely insane that it's borderline genius. Similar to the best bits of Anchorman, there are moments here when you're thinking "What the heck is going on?", but due to the likability of the actors involved and the fact that they're just having fun with it, makes it you laugh even more.

This film is like an inside joke with some of Hollywood's biggest actors, and while watching it you feel like you're in on it. It feels more like you're laughing with them instead of at them. It's the same kind of thing you would make with your own friends at home, and I guess that's the film's biggest appeal.

And just like Anchorman, it's also really hard to pick your favorite actor or favorite line, because there's just too many to choose from. Each brings their own spin on… themselves, with Franco, McBride, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel adopting fictional and overly-exaggerated persona.

Even cameo stars take the mickey out of themselves, and there is a boat-load of cameos. Nearly all members of the Apatow family are accounted for, with Jason Segel, Mindy Kaling, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz- Plasse, Aziz Ansari and Michael Cera (who is hilarious), but then there's some big names like Emma Watson, pop star Rihanna and Channing Tatum showing a knack for comedy.

The concept originally started as a short film, also written by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, called Jay and Seth versus the Apocalypse. Jay and Seth remain the main characters here, which is why they're basically "the straight guys" in amidst all the weird stuff that's going on.

James Franco is making me dislike him less and less these days, to the point he's actually one of the best things about this film. I think it's just all the other self-absorbed, artsy stuff that makes me want to punch him in his smug face. If he stuck to stoner comedies like this and Pineapple Express I would probably love him.

As for the rest of them, this just made me like 'em even more. Jonah Hill is almost cringe-worthy as an over-the-top phony, who at one point starts a prayer with "Dear God, it's me Jonah Hill… from Moneyball", Craig Robinson has some of the best one-liners, like "I'd be pretty bummed if I don't at least get a bight of the Milky Way", and even though Danny McBride is playing his usual selfish-jerk role, he has never been better.

And even though it sounds stupid, the only thing that will turn some people off is the whole "apocalypse" thing – with all the demons and what-not. You could tell from the start that it was going to get a bit crazy toward the end, but I think they rescued it with a bizarre ending that seems perfectly fitting.

It's early in the race, especially with Anchorman 2 and The World's End still to come, but so far this is front-runner for comedy of the year. Definitely worth watching.