Movie review by Lori Garrett | published July 7, 2013 |
Thursday Review Contributing Writer
Summertime brings a lot to mind; lazy afternoons and lemonade, short skirts and fireworks, cookouts and mosquito spray. But my favorite thing about the warmer weather is that it is blockbuster movie season.
It seems that most studios like to compete by putting out their most buzzed about movies during the hot months. You know the ones; big name actors and directors joining forces to save a mostly computer generated planet full of beautiful people. This summer in fact has Brad Pitt fighting zombies, Channing Tatum saving the President (played by the always impeccable Jamie Foxx) and Johnny Depp playing Tonto in The Lone Ranger. Not to mention Iron Man 3, Star Trek 2, and Man of Steel, the Superman reboot.
Amidst all the world saving, it’s nice to see a movie that goes in the complete opposite direction. This is the End is probably the funniest movie I have ever seen. It’s raunchy and dirty and absurd and unapologetic. Just like Hollywood.
Instead of the clichéd banding together to save humanity, several relatively famous people-James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson and Jay Baruchel, all playing themselves-are trapped in Franco’s house during the Judeo-Christian Apocalypse. As per the Bible, all the good people in the world are raptured into Heaven, leaving the bad folks to fend for themselves while all Hell breaks loose in the outside world. As you can imagine, it seems that a good deal of famous people are left behind.
Facing cabin fever and short on supplies, the friends soon turn to desperate and comedic antics to survive. The plot meanders between survival film and a movie about redemption and friendships-both new and those that are drifting-without sacrificing humor for heart.
With hilarious cameos from the likes of Michael Cera, Channing Tatum, Aziz Ansari, and Emma Watson, this movie is not short on star power. Even Rihanna and Paul Rudd make brief appearances.
This is the End so far it has grossed more than $76 million domestically and $2 million in the foreign markets. Considering it’s a film based on a short that Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel made back in 2007, I would say that it’s doing pretty good. I highly recommend it.
Oh, and (spoiler alert) I’m not kidding about the raunch and dirt. If you are shy about seeing a sky-scraper sized anatomically correct devil swinging his business about, this movie may not be for you. And that makes me a little sad.
