Distributor: Columbia Pictures (Subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Opening Weekend Box Office: #2 with $20,791,524
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $57,792,000
Gross Revenue: $57,792,000
Production Budget: $32 million
Directors:
Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
Historically, audiences have responded very well to
celebrity cameos in which public perception of a famous personality is
challenged – legend has it that Neil Patrick Harris’ performance in the Harold & Kumar series helped secure
his role as Barney Stinson in How I Met
Your Mother – but focusing an entire narrative on such a hook is
unprecedented. Given the widespread
nature of the cult of celebrity and the individual success of each member of
this particular cast, This Is the End
had a definitive and downright enviable draw for the coveted 18-35 male
demographic, and Columbia Pictures knew how to leverage that type of star power
perfectly. Seth Rogen and Evan
Goldberg’s first two collaborations (Superbad
and Pineapple Express) were runaway
hits, so there was no reason to think that this particular reunion wouldn’t
represent a home run, especially when audiences were reminded that this offbeat
group of friends has had some sort of influence on a majority of the popular
R-rated comedies released since 2007. If
the trailers featuring a drastically different version of Michael Cera or the
surprise inclusion of Emma Watson weren’t enough to draw attention, there had
to be a morbid curiosity as to how major concepts from Christian eschatology
like Rapture and The Book of Revelation could be used to frame a comedy. The
Hangover Part III and The Internship
didn’t exactly set a benchmark for laughs in the current Summer 2013 cinematic
landscape, so This Is the End had the
chance to offer the first true example of inspired humor in months, and judging
by early critical reaction, no one was going to be disappointed.
Squeezing more celebrities into a film than anyone
thought possible, This Is the End is
adapted from the 2007 short film “Jay and Seth versus the Apocalypse” and opens
with old friends Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen reuniting for a laid back weekend
in Los Angeles. The two friends
eventually find themselves at a raucous housewarming party for James Franco which
includes Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson, though Baruchel is uncomfortable with
the social situation filled with so many strangers. Suddenly, massive earthquakes and explosions
erupt, setting the Hollywood Hills on fire and exposing a massive sink-hole that
violently claims the lives of several partygoers, including Michael Cera,
Rihanna, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, and Jason Segel;
after the initial chaos, the few survivors (Franco, Rogen, Baruchel, Hill, and
Robinson) barricade themselves inside the house, believing that, as actors,
they will receive priority in forthcoming rescue efforts. Passing time in various ways and rationing
supplies despite the interference of recently-revealed party crasher Danny
McBride (who was asleep inside the house when all hell broke loose), the
bewildered group hear accounts of blue beams of light carrying people into the
sky and soon reason that all these disasters signal the biblical Apocalypse
detailed in The Book of Revelation. Facing
massive hell beasts, demonic possession, nomadic cannibals, and violent
survivors like an axe-wielding Emma Watson, this offbeat group of actors must
band together and reinforce their friendships in order to survive these perils
and hopefully find a way to gain entry into Heaven.
Given the prolific and collaborative careers of each
cast member of This Is the End, there
is an insane amount of material for each of these comedic actors to draw upon,
and as expected, the subsequent onslaught of self-depreciating and shocking
humor paves the way for huge laughs. A
majority of comedies require some exposition to build a momentum that might
wane from time to time, but this irreverent apocalyptic horror hits the ground
running and does not stop delivering brilliant humor until moviegoers are
grasping for breath as the end credits roll.
It is obvious that this group had an insane amount of fun working on
this project, thereby paving the way for smooth cast chemistry that gives each A-lister
appropriate time to shine…though Jonah Hill and Danny McBride still manage to
steal a few scenes. The script also
panders heavily to celebrity adoration by making very clever use of its cameos,
whether that involves a cocaine-peddling Michael Cera, a thoroughly pissed-off
Emma Watson, or a surprise addition that appears in the third act and is sure
to cause several double-takes. Needless
to say, This Is the End met and
exceeded every one of my expectations, instantly earning a place in my Blu-Ray
collection, but its brilliance might not resonate as widely as Columbia
Pictures expected.
Even though I will be quoting and raving about This Is the End far into the foreseeable
future, there is a generation gap that limits overall appeal, but that small
qualifier still shouldn’t distract from what this offbeat comedy was able to
accomplish. It is no secret that I am a
walking movie encyclopedia, so naturally I was able to catch nearly every joked
offered by this rapid-fire script, but I also recognized that full enjoyment is
contingent on moviegoers being well-versed in the diverse filmographies of
these personalities. Older audiences
might not know Seth Rogen or Craig Robinson beyond simple recognition, so there
is no way that they could enjoy this movie on the same level as a fan; so,
because of so much prerequisite viewing, This
Is the End is perhaps better classified as spin-off or sequel as opposed to
standalone project. Regardless of that
small limitation, this comedy still deserves recognition for its gutsy and
highly clever execution that also respects its touchy subject matter: where
else could you laugh at masturbation jokes and unrestrained bromance while also
planning future church visits and fearing for your immortal soul? In the end, This Is the End is still wildly original and highly enjoyable, so
trust me when I say that you will be laughing far too hard and having way too
much fun to nitpick.
Despite its inherent potential and profitability, This Is the End still inherited perhaps
one of the least enviable release spots within the 2013 Summer Movie Season,
opening just two days before Man of Steel
and thereby making a top debut all but impossible. And yet, a $20 million second place debut and
near-$60 million to-date domestic gross is anything but a disaster; plus, the
combination of strong word of mouth and nonexistent direct competition should
translate to a highly profitable theatrical run. Finally, we have proof that a star-studded
and comedy focused project can be smart and doesn’t have to come across as a
shameless and awful piece of garbage…you had your chance, Movie 43. Looking forward,
even though the downright awesome ending leaves little for a direct sequel, I
can only hope that the home video version of “Pineapple Express 2” featured
within this script finds its way to a big studio adaptation in the near
future. Grab your friends and prepare
for laughs, because I defy you to find a better time at the theater this summer
than This Is the End.
Overall
Recommendation: High
