This Is the End

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So, remember last week when I said if you still didn't like Michael Cera's acting after 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World' to "tune in next week" so to speak? Well, I'll get to that soon enough, as it's just one part of what makes 'This Is the End' so funny.

In short, we're looking at the "Apatow group" (for lack of a better name) all playing themselves, and showing us just how well (or not well) they might deal with an apocalypse in the biblical sense (demons running around, hell freezing over, etc.) It all starts when Jay Baruchel flies in to visit Seth Rogen. They end up going over to James Franco's house for a party, and the end of days quickly ensues.

Perhaps the most appealing part of this movie is that everyone is just playing themselves. They're the character versions of themselves, but it still makes things all the more fun. And this is where Michael Cera comes in. In playing himself, he actually ends up being a drugged up, coked out asshole of sorts. Mr. typecast as typically timid end up delivering some pretty big laughs. He's pretty much the exact opposite of what you'd ever expect.

A few more cameos come into the mix including Emma Watson, Rihanna, and a handful of other Apatow guys who show up at the initial party. It's a movie where if you take a look around in the background, you might spot someone you recognize from something else, essentially playing themselves, if only to be a background character. There is one other major cameo, but it's just too good, I can't spoil it. Let's just say you'll know it when you see it.

What further impressed me with it was that it wasn't ONLY funny dialogue going on, but some really badass looking special effects then it got right down to seeing what some of the demons looked like, and the layout of a destroyed LA. It's a movie where you wouldn't expect the effects to be far past passable, but wait until you see these things.

With fair warning, there is quite a bit of humor in this that involves some rather dark and iffy stuff. For example, a few demon penises here and there, a childish argument about *ahem* we'll say "ejaculation", and a whole lot of pretty scary-looking stuff. A pit opens up as celebrities fall into Hell, creepy sounds at night while they're trying to sleep, and without giving too much away, some of the deaths are pretty over the top.

This was an interesting take on several genres. It manages to be the perfect balance of stoner comedy and horror, surprisingly enough. Not just any movie can come along and do something like that. The comedy blended with such dark subject matter makes for a pretty hilarious flick... IF you can make it past the colorful language and, again, demon penises.

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