Matt Adcock’s film review: This Is The End, a grossout comedy that could persuade you to turn to God

“This is no dream! This is really happening!”
Stars galore in This Is The EndStars galore in This Is The End
Stars galore in This Is The End

What would happen if the Biblical apocalypse hit just as a bunch of Hollywood actors were in the middle of a crazy drug and alcohol fuelled party?

Would any of them be taken up by the rapture? And what about those left to confront the grim end of days after the good souls had been whisked off to heaven? The title seems to be pretty specific. This Is The End. Well, is it?

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It all begins with Jay ‘Tropic Thunder’ Baruchel visiting his best friend Seth ‘Superbad’ Rogen in Los Angeles.

Seth wants Jay to get to know his ‘new’ LA pals who include James ‘Spring Breakers’ Franco, Jonah ‘ 21 Jump Street’ Hill, Danny ’30 Minutes Or Less’ McBride and Craig ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’ Robinson.

All the actors in the film – those who you have heard of and those you vaguely recognise – play ‘themselves’ in a kind of mockumentary style and to be fair it’s a blast to see them riffing off each other, breaking the ‘fourth wall’ with lines like: “We act so hard but we’re really really not… it’s just acting!”

So in the face of imminent death and destruction, the actors squabble and generally go to pieces, which is highly entertaining watch.

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As in so many recent movie comedies the dialogue is extremely profane and the comedy often vulgar, but the spin of seeing the actors supposedly being ‘themselves’ makes up for the off colour material.

The plotline is ripped straight from the Bible’s Book of Revelation where the moral driven home is ‘treat each other well if you want to be saved’ – so there is much to ponder amid the laughs.

The big budget special effects include some gross-out gore, massive flaming sinkholes and a scary giant demon, and these are just some of the trials for the juvenile pals.

A highlight that you may have seen in the trailer is when Emma ‘Harry Potter films’ Watson manages to rob the buddies single-handedly…

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There are a ton of cameos, too with people like Michael ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Cera, Paul ‘Anchorman’ Rudd, Christopher ‘Kick Ass’ Mintz-Plasse, Rihanna and a superb against-type Channing ‘GI Joe’ Tatum all popping up for their moments of spoofing it up.

This Is The End is a wild, wacky comedy ride that will gross you out, make you laugh out loud and even cause you to contemplate turning to God – and I think you’ll agree that not many summer comedies can boast that.

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