Movie Review:This is the End (Confirmed: Great 1/2)

Who wouldn't want to spend the end of the world with these guys?

     Rogen, Franco, Brauchel, Aziz, Rudd, Segel, Hill, Robinson, Mcbride, Mintz “Mclovin” Plasse: these are the juggernauts of comedy that have dominated both the big and small screens over the last half decade. With the exception of Steve Carrell, This is the End has them all.  One of the things that has made this Judd Apatow created comedy troop so enduring is their likeability, who hasn’t said, "I would love to party with those guys?" Well, This is the End in a way gives you that chance, and at James Franco’s house of all places.  So is it as fun and hilarious as we all thought it would be? Find out after the break….. 

     Than answer is yes, this world ending party with twists, turns, and surprise cameos at every corner lives up to all of the hype, primarily because the mechanism of these actors taking the chance to play themselves (all be it somewhat fictionalized versions) gives the film a tint of originality that a lot modern comedies truly lack.  Most actors couldn’t have pulled this film off, because the truth is a lot of comedic actors aren’t as funny or as likable as the character they portray Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell come to mind, but that is never the case with the Apatow Mafia.  It would have been easy for the clique to play characterized version of themselves, but fortunately for audiences everywhere they didn’t, which provides the film the fabric of realism that make the heart and overall stakes of the film really work.

     The heart of the film is what really drives this raunchy comedy, and it comes in the form of long time Canadian friends Seth Rogen and Jay Brauchel coming to terms with the evolution of their friendship as they navigate through the apocalypse.  An apocalypse that at points in the film comes across as nearly sacrilegious, but really works well within the context of the film by the time the final credits roll.  In fact, This is the End may be the most heartfelt look Hollywood has provided at the end of the world to date, and with the year 2012 just ending it seems like there has been an onslaught of world ending entertainment as of late.  Overall, it is pretty impressive that the best look at the end of world came from the famous group of Apatow slackers.