Happy Saturday to you, loyal readers. Today, I will offer another motion picture review but first I'd like to share with you one of the random thoughts that often invades my mind. I'm really glad that my oldest son is peeing regularly in the toilet now. If I happen to misfire from time to time, I can just blame it on him. That is all.
Now for the main event. Today, I will offer you a review of the film This Is The End. It stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride and Jay Baruchel (whoever the heck he is) as themselves in what is basically an end of the world disaster flick. After a few minutes of interaction between Seth and Jay, the action moves to a Hollywood party at the newly constructed home of James Franco. Among the stars who make cameos at the party are Michael Cera, Rhianna, and Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame).
Let me just be upfront with you and say that I am very demanding of my movie entertainment. The word some would use would be "anal" but nevertheless I am very discerning when it comes to such. There is a high bar when it comes to me and what is shown on the big screen. More often than not, I walk away disappointed as I leave a theater.
That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by This Is The End. To be sure, this film is not for those who are easily offended. If your idea of a good time is to sip tea, eat crumpets and admire an old Clark Gable movie, then this is probably not the picture for you. It is full of the kind of sophomoric humor that inundates the majority of the movies in which Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and the rest of the cast (except for that Jay guy. I don't even know what he's been in) typically star in. That being said, there are laughs and quite a few of them. And more than just a handful of the laugh out loud kind that I rarely, if ever, seem to find in today's comedies. If you can look past the noticeably teenaged nature of most of the jokes like I did, I think you will find yourself pleasantly entertained.
As I said, this is what amounts to an end of the world disaster flick. After a few introductory minutes of chit chat at the aforementioned party, all hell (pardon the pun) breaks loose, explosions begin to occur and beams of blue light begin to drag some citizens skyward. After several of their compatriots are killed in various disgusting ways, Franco and gang retreat to what's left of his house to try and wait out whatever may be happening until their rescuers arrive. Beware, this flick is billed as a horror comedy and it has its share of blood and gore. Also quite surprisingly (I write horror, so very little scares me), there are a couple of genuinely scary moments, not so much due to the actual events but rather due to their shocking timing on the screen and the blaring theater speakers that amplify their sound. As far as the horror part, it is mainly the campy variety, with largely laughable demons and other creatures and corny reactions by the cast to happenings. But then I never went to see it for its horror qualities.
This movie works, at least for me, despite its adolescent humor and its corny attempts at establishing an ominous tone. It's been awhile since I had the sort of laughs in a theater that I had while I was watching the latest offering from Seth Rogen and pals. Again, not for the prudish or easily offended, but an overall entertaining night on the town nonetheless. I give it three Fleeves out of four.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Until next time.....
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