MOVIE: This Is The End

This is the End: rapture cometh with drugs.  Six male friends are ensconced in a Hollywood house as the Book of Revelations is played out.  The film is a series of comedic sketches, some of which are truly funny, with no pretense of reality.  The movie opens with Jay Baruchel, playing himself, flying into LAX to visit his buddy, Seth Rogen, who is also playing himself.  Rogen drags an unwilling Jay to a party at the house of James Franco, also playing himself (think we have a theme?) where drugs abound.  Jay leaves the house to buy some smokes and, at the liquor store, watches as a blue light lifts some of the people towards the heavens.  Initially, you don’t know whether this will be just another druggie film.  Instead, this apocalyptic movie contains individual episodes focusing on whether any of the six friends will be lifted to Heaven – not all are.  The movie is directed by Seth Rogen and co-written with Evan Goldberg.  Other actors playing themselves include Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd and Rihanna.  Channing Tatum appears late in the movie in a funny scene that is 180 degrees from his John Cale role in White House Down.  To categorize the humor as sophomoric is an insult to sophomores, however, you will laugh while watching this 119 minute movie that has no redeeming quality other than just being funny.  The movie makes fun of the actors:  “ You always play the same guy in every movie. When are you going to do some acting?” says a heckler at LAX to Rogen.  Franco is mocked with references to Pineapple Express.  No one in this film had to do any emoting, with the possible exception of Tatum, as everyone seemed to be within a comfort zone of being themselves.  The primary female in the film is Emma Watson.  She appears in a sketch that begins with Jay in the next room saying she must be fearful about being raped with all the Rapture events occurring.  When Watson hears the word rape and knowing there are six males outside her door she starts reacting by attempting to “defend” herself.  I could describe the sketches, which range from food fights to sleeping arrangements, but the descriptions would only make you wonder why anyone is laughing.  This film shows that pedestrian ideas can be successfully translated to humor on screen.  This film is crass with barely a plot and presents a plethora of narcissistic and social disorders, however, unlike White House Down, this movie intends to be funny and it succeeds.