With Edgar Wright’s The World’s End due out next month, first on our shores comes this US apocalyptic farce about friends partying till the end of the world. With similarities in terms of genre, concept and storyline far outweighing the differences, This Is The End and The World’s End will no doubt be compared in terms of box office and quality but hopefully appreciated as stand alone efforts.
In This Is The End Seth Rogan meets acting buddy Jay Baruchel at the airport and, against Baruchel’s wishes, takes him to a party at James Franco’s house where the likes of Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson are hanging out amongst a few other extended star cameos. During the night, a benign force lays waste to the better part of LA [and the majority of the party-goers] leaving the afore-mentioned few to fend for themselves in Franco’s fortress whilst the cluster of comedians exchange cock jokes and battle entities that threaten their lives and drug addled minds.
As set ups go it’s halfway to genius, with modern comedy trinkets playing exaggerated caricatures of themselves, or versions completely opposite to their public personas. James Franco excels with a deadpan conviction rarely seen in modern American comedy cinema, while directors Evan Goldberg and Rogan’s Altman-esque examination of the Hollywood bourgeoisie feels fresh in the sub-genre context.
It is the directorial duo’s crafting of the opening scenes with the post-modern self deprecation that sets This Is The End up as unique and against expectation, but these stand out qualities make it even more disappointing when things fall apart in act two.
Ironically the central concept and catalyst which is original in the context of a low brow comedy, should make the movie most fascinating, yet its crow-barring serves as a moronic leeway to the type of flat, dumb-ass humour that the stars are criticised for in the first act. Only the slight tensions between characters offer some kind of substance while Seth Rogan and James Franco prevail in their performances in the second and third acts with so many jokes that a few do crack the funny bone.
While the humour is inane and grating This Is The End is sometimes enjoyable but doesn’t try hard enough, and judging by the quality of the set up maybe a straightforward updated deconstruction of the Hollywood system [like The Player (1992) and Sunset Boulevard (1950)] would have been a much more interesting piece. Fingers crossed the final part of the Frost/ Pegg/ Wright Three Colours Cornetto trilogy can do a better job in the apocalyptic comedy department than its American counterpart.
Daniel has awarded This is the End two Torches of Truth
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Good review Dan. One of those movies that did not stop me from laughing the whole time I was watching it. This is what it looks like when buddies get together and make a movie.
Thank you. Yeah it might be enjoyed more if watched with pals after a night out. Might give it another go at some point!