This Is the End (2013) - ★★★★

Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Writers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jason Stone (Short Film)
Stars: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Emma Watson, Michael Cera, Rihanna

This is the End is one of the funniest comedies of 2013. It had its moments that made me roar with laughter, and an all-star comedic cast that rivals films like It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). Seth Rogen is proving to be a formidable comedic super-star, putting the likes of Adam Sandler and his crew to shame. While this isn't a very original film, the improv from these hilarious men make it one of the most memorable and unpredictable comedies made in recent years. Its biggest asset is the way the actors don't take themselves too seriously, but its biggest folly is that there are frequent, and sometimes prolonged dull-moments. Whatever its shortcomings, I'll always remember the performances of Jonah Hill and Danny McBride, who were the cream of the crop.

Jay Baruchel has come to L.A. to stay with his good friend, Seth Rogen. After an afternoon of drugs and munchies, Rogen coaxes Baruchel into attending James Franco's housewarming party. The problem is, Jay hates Seth's friends, and the last thing he wants to do is socialise with all of them. At this party, there are a whole bunch of other notable celebrities and comedic-actors that surprise us with their antics. To cut a long story short, the apocalypse happens and we see chaos break-out among the celebs. We're left with Rogen, Baruchel, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride, who all managed to survive and hide out in Franco's house.

I love all of these guys... except Baruchel. 

I was pretty psyched when I heard about this movie. It certainly didn't let me down, but it didn't exceed my expectations either. Seth Rogen took one for the team and played a less-funny, exceptionally normal character... but with his personality. It's disappointing though, because I consider him to be one of the funniest, yet he just fell under the radar in this film. James Franco didn't do much either, except act kind of douchey. As for Baruchel, he played the voice of reason... basically, he's the only non-retarded person there that can actually see the stupidity in these people. He did a good job. On a side note, I wasn't impressed with his performance in Million Dollar Baby. 

McBride was by far the funniest!

The shining stars of the film were Robinson, Hill and McBride. I never really saw Robinson as one of the big-players in the comedic-actors world. I've seen him do some funny supporting roles, but nothing that notable. Here, he was damn funny. He played himself of course, but with perfect comedic-timing and absolutely hilarious lines. There were moments in the movie where Danny McBride's hilarious improv left me breathless from laughter. His argument with James Franco about 'cumming' all over the house, was one of the funniest sequences I've ever seen on film (keep in mind, I have a morbid sense of humour). I also loved the sequence where the guys are trying to explain to him that the apocalypse is happening, but he just sits there eating breakfast and slags them off for being bad actors.

Jonah Hill really shines here.

Jonah Hill man... I love what they did with his character. Baruchel kept going on about how Hill was an asshole that hates his guts. So throughout the entire movie, Jonah played this overly nice and kinda feminine character. When he waved the gun around like a nancy-boy, saying "bang, you're dead," I was nearly in tears from laughing so much. Then he went on to outperform the rest of the cast for a long while... well until McBride came on anyway. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but the funniest thing happens to Jonah that was both terrifying and hilarious!

There are some damn funny cameos throughout the film. The most notable one is Emma Watson, who managed to survive what she called "a zombie invasion." I never thought I'd see her in a film, surrounded by these great comedians... but it happened. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Michael Cera doing a bunch of crazy sh*t. It's funny because he seems like the quietest, sweetest guy in real life. Obviously they wanted to shock people, and his role was truly shocking to me. It was nice to see Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rihanna, and David Krumholtz too. In fact, all of the cameos were great except for the fucking Backstreet Boys. God, they nearly ruined the movie for me. I despised the ending they chose for the film. Is it laid back? Yes. Does it reek of Adam Sandler comedy? YES!

To sum things up, most of This Is the End is extremely funny. If you like improv, any of these actors, or a good apocalypse/survival story, then this is your movie! If you can't stand grotesque humour, then steer clear of this one. It's bloody, it's sassy, and it's one of the best movies of 2013!