Movies That Rule: This Is The End

Again, We interrupt Kanye West week with an important announcement. Go see This is The End, and do it now, well after you read this..

Movies That Rule: This Is The End

Via hefferbrew.com

Where would you want to be when the world ends?

Preferably you'd want to be in your own home. You know, where all the quickest exits are, and all the supplies are ready at your fingertips.

Then there's also the question of, who would you want to be with, when it all goes down?

Your friends? Your family ? Personally, I would want maybe two friends and two family members. Most likely, I would decide this by having family members and friends draw straws, and whom ever drew the short straws; well I guess it's time to say our good byes.

I know, it all sounds very cold. These are the harsh realities of an apocalypse. You won't have time to really apply yourself to other people and satisfying their unnecessary needs for attention and love. There's nothing funny about the apocalypse. Aside from the possibility of watching your mortal enemies be engulfed by hell fire.

That's where, This is The End come in. I know, there's Shaun of The Dead and other end of the world comedy films. Most that center around zombies. Not the end of the world, Bible style; Revelations, baby!

Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and Starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride as themselves. This is The End, follows those six as they strive to survive in the rapture filled world of, the Hollywood Hills. After the Biblical apocalypse hits, during a party at Franco's house, the friends are forced to co-exist while destroying each others acting achievements and attempting to keep sane, in an insane world.

'The End' earns it's Movies That Rule status because, it is a movie, that rules – yes that was the easy way of putting it.

This too though, is a very simple movie. Six kind-of-friends-more-acquaintances, all trying to survive while the end of the world is going on around them, and through the end of the world they build their friendships back up – in a sometimes ultra-homo-erotic manner. The entire movie is as if the actors were intending to make a movie in which Franco and Hill could trade jabs at who's the more accomplished "Oscar-worthy" actor. Rogen and Franco's Freaks and Geeks history is on play with Franco playing hero to Rogen every time his well-being is threatened. McBride is portrayed as an inconsiderate asshole – like every character he's ever played. Craig Robinson is "softer than baby shit" and Jay Baruchel is the hipster-recluse that you've always imagined him to be.

They're borderline masochistic with how crude they are to one another. The "fourth wall" is very much in tact but there are cracks. You feel like you're watching a movie (of course), but there's this odd appeal of hatred the actors have towards one another, that's almost palpable. There exists a hierarchy amongst the Apatow grads, Franco, Rogen and Hill at the top, Robinson in the middle, then McBride and last Baruchel. Hill rocks an earring and talks down to everyone and Franco portrays the philanthropic tool we all imagine him as. There's jabs at Rogen's outlandish laugh, the failure of each others movies – McBride even pokes fun at their acting one by one when they're attempting to explain to him that the world has effectively been terminated. Going as far as asking Rogen where "that kind of acting" was in the Green Hornet as Rogen tries to sway McBride.

'The End' follows the same archetype as any Rogen/McBride/Hill/Franco film. A lot of improvisation, random celebrity appearances, a ton of huge dicks on things (like every demon has an enormous dick. Spoiler Alert!!! There's a scene that involves Hill being raped by a demon – the reason he becomes possessed and they have to preform The Exorcism of Jonah Hill, which literally becomes a short-film within the film based off a short film – the demon has at least 15-18 inches and the width of a coke can, and this demon lays it something real sensual-like on Jonah Hill. It's all very awkward and hilarious. Also, the Demon looks like Dave Grohl in his Satan costume.).

It's not a "smart" movie (Like per say, At World's End will be – seeing as it's an English comedy and we all know they don't do low-brow.), and it never tries to be. It's an hour and 47 minutes of dick jokes, Michael Cera being the most funny he's been since Arrested Development began – or Juno - for like 10 minutes and almost stealing the show – including a super awesome kind-of Superbad reunion, when Cera blows cocaine in the face of Christopher Mintz-Plasse. There's A Pineapple Express sequel – which, again is a short film within the film based on a short film (Jay and Seth Vs. The Apocalypse, a short Rogen and Baruchel made in 2007), and there's Channing Tatum, but I won't spoil his appearance for you. Let's just say… he's a little gimpy.

'The End', has a few hints at a religious undertone, with the rapture being the cause to the end of civilization, along with the Exorcism of Jonah Hill and there ultimate realization of what they need to do in order to survive in the end. It's well done, and only semi-offensive, if you get bothered by those type of things. Aside form that, much like the rest of there films, it's about camaraderie. Bros being bros and on an almost homosexual level. That the love between men can be shared and it totally not be gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

'The End' is a movie that rules, one: it's too hilarious – like top 10 comedies of all time - but, two: because it actually has a message where it didn't even have to. Don't be an asshole, do good unto others and maybe, just maybe you may not have to suffer through insufferable bullshit all the time, like Revelations and other end of the world scenarios. Although simple, sometimes we just forget that, maybe if we're decent people, we'll have decent things happen to us.

And assholes like myself will be left to draw the short straw.