This Is The End

 
Add every disaster movie known to man with The Exorcist and an ounce of pot and you have This Is The End, a spoof on the apocalypse and star-fueled decadence of Los Angeles. Written and Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the creators of Superbad and Pineapple Express, Seth Rogen plays himself and reunites with his fellow actors/friends at a party that encompasses almost every actor in the Judd Apatow niche (Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, James Franco, Craig Robinson and Jay Baruchel). As drinks are devoured and cannabis is smoked, the apocalypse descends on Los Angeles leaving the six actors to try and survive the hell and earth and, more importantly,  each other.

The film begins with a satirical edge on modern Hollywood that is made up of gossip and hedonistic excess at James Franco's house. As the film progresses and disaster movies are spoofed with originality- unlike the unbearable Scary Movie franchise- the rest of movie leaves one to ask if Rogen and Goldberg were high making the film. The high hijinks give you the giggles at first, but leads to absurdity with a subtext as small as a half-eaten Milky Way bar.  In any case, This Is The End is a fun trip for the summer as well as a relief from the actual disaster movies with little or no humor or action (I'm looking at you, Grown Ups 2 and White House Down!). If your looking for a humorous satire on egocentric Hollywood and what is has produced, check out This Is The End, beautiful friends.     

3 out of 4 Stars