This Is the End

From about half way through this was an improvised commercial for the Bible and MilkyWay, packed with snappy lines. Sumptuous sub-plots and cameos never seen before. Rihanna burns in hellfire, Michael Cera didn’t disappoint for the first time in his life, Hermione has an ax and Tatum delivers another good one this year. Everybody in the main gang rocks, but I rooted for Franco the most. I guffawed loud and frequently. I’m glad they’re doing the sequel to Pineapple Express. (17/09/2013)

A homemade movie by a bunch of friends which was meant to remain undiscovered, the same way as all other homemade movies are. As funny as it sounds on the paper, the realization came out pretty flaky. Rogen and Goldberg should have had the sense not to let themselves stand behind the camera. It all holds together purely thanks to the cast. Everybody, without exception, is clearly having fun. Which is also the reason why I concentrate more on the bonus materials and reviews rather than on the movie itself which, in its humor and style, is on exactly the same wave as everything else that Rogen has written so far. (20/09/2013)

In probably the first film since Tropic Thunder, this is a film whose creators I would believe even if they told me in a hackneyed way: “We all enjoyed filming it, a great bunch of people came together." Except for a few moments when the jokes were awkward, I actually had fun from beginning to end (and more and more towards the end); and look, Jonah Hill is responsible for one of the very best moments of This Is the End. (30/01/2021)

A really great premise which made a lot of actors finally look friendlier and more human to me, as they are basically playing themselves. Suddenly, however, there is a brutal apocalypse, which is a meaningless bullshit in all respects and the only thing keeping the movie afloat is a number of pretty brutal catchphrases of the individual actors, who put down and try to best each other. I like the fact that the actors were themselves and that several times they openly made fun of themselves. What I don’t like was that some jokes were pretty unnecessary and over the line. At times I laughed a lot, just to stop laughing afterwards and wait for another catchphrase that would make me happy again. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg came up with a great idea and a lot of the actors convinced me that they are a great group of friends who can make you laugh and that I should definitely reckon with them for the future of America. (27/09/2014)

Smarter than most viewers are willing to admit. Rogen's humor goes over the edge many times, but who can be mad when it's done in such a self-deprecating and ironic way. The studio execs must have freaked out at the test screening, which makes me wish Rogen and his crew all the more for the commercial success they've had overseas. Deservedly so, it’s probably the most sincere A-film to come out of the "dream factory" in years. (16/09/2013)