Two movie nights in a row? Preposterous! I was invited out to the theatre to see another movie tonight. Movie of choice? This is the End, directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan. When you take a look at the cast, you can tell right off the bat exactly what kind of movie we're dealing with, here. This review may contain spoilers, but nothing so major as to ruin the ending.
Two of my friends went to see the movie the previous day, and claimed to like it so much, they really didn't mind seeing it again. I asked, "Who stars in this movie?" More like, "Who doesn't star in this movie?" You have Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera, Emma Watson (!?), Rihanna... And that's just to name a few. Every celebrity plays themself in this flick.
The movie starts with Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel-- who, no surprise, are great friends in real life-- meeting up at Seth's sweet new home. They get higher than kites while watching TV in the living room (it's a Seth Rogan movie, can't say you didn't see it coming) and Seth tries to convince Jay to join him at his good friend James's house for a killer party. Jay boldly states he does not want to go; he just wants sit back and catch up Seth. After some of Seth's coaxing, Jay finally caves and they're on their merry way to James Franco's party.
A couple drinks / joints later, Seth and Jay are welcomed by James Franco and Jonah Hill. Seth couldn't be happier to see them, but Jay is passive-aggressive the entire time he's there. Jonah is an extremely nice fellow who tries to see the good in everyone. James is an extremely popular man with a house full of expensive art collections. Jay just wants to go home. He asks Seth to go with him to pick up a pack of smokes, and they excuse themselves from the party.
While debating what to buy, Seth observes a shrewd gas station clerk tell a little girl and her father they can't use the restroom without buying something. Just as Jay is about to check out, a giant car crashes through the window and smashes the attendant like a tomato. Outside, people are running and screaming, vehicles are crashing and swerving in a manner similar to that of Chicago's everyday traffic, and giant blue rays of light are abducting people and sucking them into the sky. Seth and Jay run back to James's house and the party is still going; no one is aware of the havoc that lies outside. When Seth and Jay try to explain what they saw, everyone dismisses them as being too doped-out to think straight. However, an earthquake sends everyone running for their life, and Michael Cera is the first to die (yup), courtesy of a falling telephone pole impaling him through the stomach. He is then sucked into a giant hole in the ground that leads to the molten depths of hell. Everyone in the party is sucked into it, minus our four main characters.
From here on out, the story revolves around Jay Jonas, Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Craig Robinson, as they try to survive in James's house. Food and water quickly becomes sparse, Jay's reluctancy to cooperate rises as he didn't want to even go to the party in the first place, and something large and menacing (we're talking T-Rex sized or maybe even larger) is running rampant outside. Celebrity casts come and go as the four learn they aren't the only ones from the party to survive. Danny McBride joins the cast for a majority of the rest, but he is "voted off the island", to put it in his own words just before he leaves. The entire theatre was filled with joyful cheers upon Emma Watson busting her way through the window with a firefighter axe. A misunderstanding quickly makes her break Seth Rogan's nose with the end of the axe, steal all the booze in the house, and run outside, never to be seen again.
I enjoyed seeing this pure-comedy film. It was controversial and daring and not modest in the slightest, and maybe that's why I liked it so much. You can tell the actors really enjoyed it. In a way, it was like watching a movie a group of friends put together, because that's exactly what it was. I wouldn't be surprised if Seth Rogan woke up one morning, phoned a friend about this whack idea he had for a movie, and the message just spread and spread until everyone, from Rihanna to all of the Backstreet Boys, had a role in this movie.
Would I recommend it?
Yes. But I would be very selective about to whom I'd suggest see it. I wouldn't recommend seeing it if drug references really bother you, as this movie is filled with them. Also, the movie has some raunchy bits in it that are definitely... stranger... than most films. In spite of that, the movie has a really enjoyable mashup of a cast and they compliment each other very well.
Would I see it again?
I felt like it was one of those movies you'd be satisfied with seeing just once. It's not that I didn't like it-- quite the opposite-- but I feel content.
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Emma Watson swinging her axe around like nobody's business. |
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I'm not kidding! They really did get together for this shoot. |
Would I recommend it?
Yes. But I would be very selective about to whom I'd suggest see it. I wouldn't recommend seeing it if drug references really bother you, as this movie is filled with them. Also, the movie has some raunchy bits in it that are definitely... stranger... than most films. In spite of that, the movie has a really enjoyable mashup of a cast and they compliment each other very well.
Would I see it again?
I felt like it was one of those movies you'd be satisfied with seeing just once. It's not that I didn't like it-- quite the opposite-- but I feel content.
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