Kevin's Review of This is the End

I was surprised to see This is the End get good reviews as the premiere was approaching.  By the look of the trailers, it seemed like it was going to be a very jarring blend of sci-fi and comedy that wasn't going to work.  It was staying strong around 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, though, so I decided to check it out.  This is a few days late, but better late than never I guess.

Much to my surprise, this is a very solid comedy that stands as one of the best films I've seen this year (The Place Beyond the Pines is probably sitting at number one).  What really made this film work was the all-star cast.  It's not often you come across a film like this that is filled to the brim with big name actors.  I am a huge fan of Seth Rogen and I will watch just about anything that he's in.  James Franco is also great and seeing these two actors reunite after Pineapple Express (another favorite of mine) was a real treat.  At the beginning of the film, even more famous actors are at James Franco's house, and that was also cool to see how one movie brought together so many comedic actors.  What I really liked about this film is how these actors play themselves.  It was an original concept and rather than being full of cliches and empty jokes, this film makes you laugh hysterically while giving you something to think about.  After the whole end of the world thing back in December, you'd have to expect a movie to be made playing off of that, and this is just that.

Some of the CGI in this film is pretty cheesy, particularly in the scene when all the celebrities fall into the hole in the ground.  I honestly could place the budget for that scene at 500 dollars.  It reminded me of a straight-to-DVD movie scene.  Also, some of the monsters and some of the computer generated lights are very gimmicky, but it's serviceable since this is a comedy.

This is the End is one of the surprise films of the year.  I would rank it up with Superbad, Knocked Up, and Pineapple Express.  It's certainly not a profound film that will win any Oscars but it made me laugh consistently.  If you are a fan of Judd Apatow-type films, you will surely enjoy this.

MY RATING:

4 out of 5

-Kevin Millward-