In “This Is the End,” it’s the end of the world as we know it, and Seth Rogen, James Franco, Craig Robinson and Michael Cera feel fine. Mostly because they’re high.
“This Is the End” is a lot like the other movies those people have made in various combinations along with Danny McBride, Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel: Sex jokes, flatulence jokes, pot jokes. Except that, this time, they’re making them in the middle of an apocalyptic event.
The disaster interrupts a party at Franco’s house (with Rihanna, Emma Watson and Paul Rudd also in attendance), and only a few of the stars make it out alive.
Having these guys play themselves is the best idea in “This Is the End,” especially when genial Cera is pretending to be the loser everyone hates. It gives the actors a chance to make fun of themselves, since each picks one annoying trait and exaggerates it, and it gives us a chance to laugh at how ill-equipped these lazy stoners are to deal with the end times.
For instance, when the group believes it’s facing a food shortage with little more than a Milky Way bar to sustain them, Franco’s possessive whine, “It’s my special food!” is wickedly funny. As is an extended argument between him and McBride about McBride’s prolific masturbation.
Much of “This Is the End” consists of the stars insulting each other (McBride to Rogen: “That acting was better than your last six performances. Where was that in ‘Green Hornet?’ “).
A decent percentage of the insults hit their targets, but the extended improvisation doesn’t make for an especially disciplined film. The movie feels longer than it is, partly because there are some patches with no laughs and partly because — ironically — “This Is the End” does not really have an ending.
“THIS IS THE END”
Directed by: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Starring: Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, James Franco, Danny McBride
Rated: R for very strong language, tons of drug use, violence and special-effect nudity
Should you go? Fans of these guys should, but there’s nothing here to convince non-fans they’re wrong. **-1/2
Chris Hewitt can be reached at 651-228-5552. Follow him on twitter.com/ChrisHMovie.
