This is the End

Sometimes watching celebrities get rich, fall in love, have amazing adventures and happy endings can get very monotonous.  But what about when it doesn’t all quite plan out, and disaster strikes?  Bringing that fantasy alive and testing celebrities’ immortality is the directorial debut of Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg with This is the End – the apocalyptic film to end all others!

Starring a whole swarm of well known actors and musicians playing themselves, This is the End is a refreshingly frank take on the usual doom and gloom that surrounds most movie cataclysms.  Fans of films such as 2012, Skyline, and Doomsday will recognise some “borrowed” components, but fear not: This is the End retains uniqueness and comes up trumps with just over 100 minutes of unashamedly crass fun.

Arriving in LA to see his friend Seth Rogan, Jay Baruchel lands himself an invite to James Franco’s house party.  To the casual observer, this sounds like the best invite ever, but alas, Baruchel has been avoiding the LA party lifestyle and consequently this comes as sombre news – especially when he hears Jonah Hill will be attending…

The partying is wild, the celebrities have been let loose, and outside disaster has struck in the form of an apocalyptic nightmare: earthquakes, fire bombs, and creatures straight from the belly of hell.  With Franco’s house as their fortress, a select few survivors decide to sit out Judgment Day and wait for rescue.  And thus the carnage and CGI begins.

Emma Watson, Channing Tatum, Rihanna, Michael Cera, Danny McBride, and Mindy Kaling all steal the show with hilarious quips and digs at one another.  Even the slap-stick nature of confrontation can be forgiven as Rogan and Goldberg have really succeeded in getting the actors to take the Mickey out of themselves and each other – quite a feat for the American sense of humour, which isn’t exactly famed for its self-deprecation.

With an inspiring soundtrack, a whole array of clashing personalities on acid, all the gore and spooks expected in a cataclysmic event, and a well-endowed devil, This is the End is one hell of a party. Do not turn this invite down!

Jennifer Atkinson

This is the End is released nationwide on 28^th June 2013.

Watch the trailer for This is the End here: