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| Courtesy of Sony |
This
year’s summer movie season is a weird one. Typically, there’s at least one
hotly anticipated flick opening every week between May and mid-August. However,
nothing really dominated the pop culture conversation last weekend (unless you
count the toxic buzz around After Earth, Will and Jaden Smith’s latest dud)
and tomorrow seems to promise more of the same. That’s when audiences can see The
Internship, a tired-looking comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, and The Purge” Ethan Hawke’s latest foray into low-budget, high-concept
thrillers.
On
the other hand, Hollywood’s making a lot of money next week. So many promising
movies hit theaters that I have to get an early start on reviewing them. First
up: This Is the End, a horror comedy from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the
guys responsible for Superbad and Pineapple Express (yay!), as well as The
Green Hornet (um…). This marks their startlingly confident directorial debut, which
feels like a loving tribute to the films of Edgar Wright.
As
you’d expect from the duo, there’s plenty of raunchy language and gross-out
humor, but also a surprising amount of heart in the film’s message about
friendship and sacrifice. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking Rogen and
Goldberg are going soft – I laughed so hard I stopped breathing at least three
times.
The
film playfully jams a bunch of genres together, including Hollywood satire,
buddy comedy and disaster porn, with a little bit of exorcism flick thrown in
for good measure. In theory, it doesn’t seem like a blend that would lead to a
cohesive narrative – and the movie certainly drags in places – but in practice it
makes for a hilariously successful experiment.
The
plot is intriguing: everyone in the movie plays a demented, over-the-top
version of themselves. It’s as if the actors really are who the internet and
tabloids make them out to be. Viewers are introduced to this whacked-out
alternate universe as Seth Rogen and his buddy Jay Baruchel arrive at a
housewarming party for James Franco.
Rogen’s
Canadian pal isn’t a fan of the Hollywood scene, which contributes to the
flick’s first big set piece, a wild party with stars like Paul Rudd, Michael
Cera, Rihanna and Emma Watson in attendance. Rogen is in his element, but
Baruchel quickly decides to bail because he’s feeling left out. Then the end of
the world happens. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Giant sinkholes open
everywhere, leading straight into hell, and people start dying in amusing and horrific
ways.
When
the smoke clears, the only survivors are Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Jonah Hill,
Craig Robinson and Danny McBride, who barricade themselves in Franco’s house.
(Even if you don’t know the names, you’ll definitely recognize the faces.) As
you can imagine, that many egos in an enclosed space lead to some interesting conflicts.
Soon, the big question is if the guys are going to get killed by the creatures
outside or their fellow actors.
Performances
are strong all around, no surprise considering these actors have known each
other a long time. Rogen, Baruchel and Franco dial it down for the most part, giving
other guys a chance to go over the top. Hill mostly plays prissy and
eager-to-please, but he gets an opportunity to go crazy in the film’s final
third.
The
real scene-stealers are Robinson (who I’m a big fan of) and McBride, who’s generally
hilarious in small doses. Too much and he gets exhausting, but Rogen and
Goldberg use him exactly right. Watson gets some fun scenes to play as well,
though she’s not in the movie as much as I’d like.
The
creature design showcased in the second half of the film is impressive. A
comedy like this could’ve gotten away with less-than-stellar terrors, but the
filmmakers took it seriously and came up with some truly gnarly (and
anatomically correct) monsters.
Chances
are you already know whether you’re the appropriate demo for This Is the End.
So take this review as an endorsement or a warning, depending on which camp you
fall into. I’d argue Rogen and Goldberg cram so many “did I really just see
that?” scenarios into the flick that it’s worth seeing for the shock value
alone. Of course, the nonstop hilarity is nice too.
A
final word of warning to those planning to see This Is the End: stay away
from IMDB.com. There are several awesome jokes that will be ruined if you
peruse the film’s cast list. If you want to be as pleasantly surprised as I
was, go into the theater knowing as little as possible.
This
Is the End is rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, brief graphic
nudity, pervasive language, drug use and some violence.
Grade:
B+
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