"This Is the End" Makes the Apocalypse a Very Funny Thing

Written and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, based on the short film by Jason Stone, starring Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Danny McBride, and Jonah Hill - Rated R

The Kurgan loved it, but he thinks all end of the world movies are funny...

 

 

 

 

 

Reviewing comedies isn’t really my thing these days, but I do make exceptions for interesting comedies.  This Is the End is, at the very least, an interesting film.  End is unique not because it boasts a who’s who from comedic films of the last decade; it is different because all of the actors are playing themselves (sort of).  The fact that this is the most anticipated comedy of the year for me (and others, I assume) says something about our obsession with celebrity.  Is it an easy laugh to just have Seth Rogen play himself and riff on his past successes and failures to a knowing audience?  Yeah, but it’s still a laugh.  In a world filled with Kardashians and Real Housewives, I don’t think it’s all that terrible to use celebrity for comedy.  At least these people are doing it intentionally.  I was laughing with the guys of This Is the End; whenever I am forced to watch the other type of “celebrities,” I’m laughing at them.

 

Celebrity aside, This Is the End takes a familiar premise, the end of the world, and plays it for laughs.  It only makes sense that we’ve come to this.  There are so many hyper-serious end of the world movies out there.  Isn’t it time we laugh about it?  And honestly, who hasn’t had the conversation with their friends about what they would do if the world ended or how (zombies, rapture, aliens?) they wish it would end?  For anyone who has thought or talked about the end of the world, or needs a break from the bleakness of films like The Road, this film is for you.

 

As with all comedies, though, it all comes down to whether or not you like the actors.  I don’t want to spoil all of the cameos (although most surprises have been shown in previews), but there should be something for nearly everyone in this film.  That said, the main players are Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, and Jonah Hill.  Most people enjoy most if not all of these actors, but some might be put off by a few of them. 

 

What’s great about End is that you might like it even if you hate some of these guys.  This is a very aware movie.  Rogen comments that some people find his laugh annoying; Franco is called out for his perceived pretentiousness, etc.  Once again, these are easy laughs, but laughs nonetheless. 

 

The only issue some may have with the film is the amount of references to other works.  It’s not required that you see everything else these guys have done, but it certainly helps.  I’m a big fan of most of these actors, so I was able to pick up on references to Freaks and Geeks, Eastbound & Down, Your Highness, and Pineapple Express, to name a few.  I would say the closest thing to required viewing is Pineapple Express.  The majority of that cast is in this film, and they even film a homemade sequel to it within the film.  You might not find that sequence funny if you have no clue what they’re referencing. 

 

This Is the End is mainly about the apocalypse, though.  While it is filled with outlandish laughs, there is still the very serious threat of death and eternal damnation throughout the film.  If there is a message behind it, it’s about friendship and being a good person (which are lacking qualities among the cast of this film, apparently).  This is hardly a message film, but at least there’s a little something there. 

 

No one is going to this movie to learn about being a good person or friend.  This movie is all about the laughs.  I loved it, but as I like to point out, my sense of humor might be (and usually is) different from the general population’s.  Perhaps the main two things to keep in mind if you’re on the fence about this movie are that it’s rated R and the cast is almost exclusively male.  Some people don’t take the R rating all that seriously, but they should.  This is certainly not a comedy for children.  It’s not a comedy for easily offended adults, either.  It’s not the filthiest comedy by a long shot, but it’s definitely not squeaky clean.  As for the lack of women in the film, this didn’t bother me (probably because I’m a man), but it might be hard for some women to identify with many of the comedic moments since this is very much a movie for the guys.  In fact, when a woman finally does show up (another moment played up in the previews) the guys instantly tense up and create a very awkward situation.  I can see a lot of women enjoying it, but they are not the target audience.

 

This Is the End is a comedy tailor made for fans of the all the actors involved.  So this movie is made for people like me, which is why I loved it.  But even if it’s not for you, I think it’s possible to enjoy it.  Because even if you don’t like them, it’s still funny to watch celebrities have to deal with problems that can’t be taken care of with money and fame.  And, finally, look at it this way: if you hate some of these actors, at least you get to watch some of them die.

 

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

 

I didn't really mention it at all in the review itself because it was getting too long as it is, and I didn't feel like finding a logical spot to include it, but Rogen and writing/directing partner Evan Goldberg deserve a lot of credit here.  Not just for the writing and everything (they've already proven that they can write some funny stuff), but for the directing.  The death scenes were handled well, and they created a decent hellscape with what I assume is a relatively small budget for an apocalyptic film.  The CG was a little cheap-looking, but I can't imagine who would care about that.  Anyway, hats off to Rogen and Goldberg. 

 

Okay, now for the cameos that I loved.  Michael Cera.  I know, I know, it's all in the previews, but I still found him hilarious.  To take such a notoriously softspoken actor like that and turn him into a cocaine-blowing psycho is hilarious enough; to imagine that that is what Cera is like in reality makes it doubly funny. 

 

All the rest of the little cameos are great and all, but Channing Tatum showing up later as McBride's dog/sex slave was amazing.  I lost it when McBride said he had taught him to do tricks.

 

Not really a spoiler, but a final note: All of these guys yelling expletives at each other will always make me laugh, but for some reason when they do it as versions of themselves, I find it absolutely hilarious.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Directed by Edgar Wright, written by Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright, starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, and Jason Schwartzman - Rated PG-13

This movie isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for me.

Here’s the deal: I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World nearly a week after its release. I know it bombed (or at least it didn’t exactly tear up the box office), and I am aware that many critics, especially those of the online persuasion, sang its praises as loud as they could.

Now, with all that out of the way, allow me to fall in line with all the rest. I loved every minute of this film. It was dork heaven. I knew from the very beginning that this film was made for me. Instead of the traditional Universal Studios intro, there is an 8-bit videogame version of the logo with retro videogame music to match. In a word: awesome.

Before I really get into why I love this movie so much, I will acknowledge that this film is not for everyone. In fact, it’s not for most people. First, it’s based on a series of graphic novels. I loved the graphic novels (even if I only read them because I heard about the film project), so the realization of the series as a film was its own thrill. Second, it stars Michael Cera, who is becoming one of my favorite comedic actors. Third, it contains numerous old school videogame references. When an enemy is defeated, coins appear. Scott gets a 1-UP at one point. The main characters have a band called Sex Bob-omb, etc. Fourth, this is a comic book adaptation in the truest sense. When a phone rings, “Riiiinnnnnngggggg” shows up on the screen. That kind of thing happens throughout. Fifth, you have to accept that supernatural fights break out every now and then, and none of the characters seem surprised by it.

After reading that, you have one of two reactions. Either you think it sounds like a garbled mess of a movie or it sounds like an amazing entertainment experience. I, of course, fall into the latter of the two.

If you’re still reading, here’s a quick synopsis: Scott Pilgrim (Cera) is a slacker in his early 20s. He’s dating a high school girl, but soon meets Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who is literally the girl of his dreams. He has to juggle being in the midst of a battle of the bands while battling Ramona’s seven evil exes.

Scott Pilgrim is not about plot, though. It’s about the little things. That’s how the comic worked and that’s how the movie works. There are so many moments in this film that work so well in their small doses that I can’t recount them all…but I’ll at least name a few. There’s the vegan police, the “Seinfeld” scene, the music (I highly suggest buying the soundtrack), the awesome fight scenes, there’s a bass battle, etc. Once again, that sounds messy, but it works somehow.

I can see someone watching this and getting completely lost, but I watched it and became completely engrossed in it. The editing is jarring, but in a good way. The cuts create a real comic book feeling (and it was nice to see actual panels from the comic used in the film). An example of that is how quickly the movie goes from one location to the next or from night to day. Director Edgar Wright truly captured the spirit of the books. More impressive, he made the best videogame movie ever…and this isn’t even based on a videogame.

I mention the videogame stuff again because the movie is very much inspired by games. If you’re not an old-school gamer, then a lot of the references and sound effects will be completely lost on you. This is why I don’t plan on recommending this movie to most people. But most of my friends will dig the videogame stuff. My common acquaintances, though, I’ll tell them to skip it…or at least watch at their own risk.

The casting is causing an issue as well. Some people out there just hate Michael Cera. Obviously, I am not one of those people. I still think if people check out Youth in Revolt they’ll see that Cera has some chops and isn’t a one-note actor. Scott Pilgrim is another example of his acting ability. He isn’t playing the whiny, dry-humored virgin in this one. In fact, he plays an oblivious, grinning idiot, which is a stretch for him. He completely pulls it off, too. There are moments in this film when he just stares into space with a stupid grin on his face and it is hilarious. I hate to say it, though, but this movie isn’t going to change anyone’s mind about the guy. If you hate Cera, you just hate him. There’s no getting around it, I guess. If your only reason for avoiding this film is Cera, however, I am pleading with you: put aside your hatred of him and give the movie a chance.

The supporting cast backs up Cera quite nicely. Winstead has a kind of beauty that I can’t put my finger on, and she plays cool so well. I can completely understand why Pilgrim falls for her. Kieran Culkin stands out as Scott’s witty roommate. Chris Evans is very funny as the bad actor ex-boyfriend of Ramona. His gruff voice is amusing alone. Brandon Routh (the latest Superman) is surprisingly hilarious as a psychic vegan. And Jason Schwartzman is perfect as Gideon Graves, the most evil of all the evil exes. To be honest, I could just list the entire supporting cast because they all work so well. Perhaps this is just the graphic novel fan coming out in me, but I felt that every actor embodied their comic counterpart.

Now’s the time I’m supposed to tell you what’s wrong with Scott Pilgrim, but I have nothing for you. What some might find messy, I find brilliantly disheveled. The action that some may find outlandish, I found surprisingly well filmed. The music that some may find grating, I found humorous and catchy. I’ll say it again: This film was made for me.

"Youth in Revolt" / Mini-Reviews: "Big Fan" / "A Perfect Getaway" / "Halloween II" / "Up"

Youth in Revolt - Directed by Miguel Arteta, starring Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, and Justin Long - Rated R


No one likes misbehavin' like the Evil Kurgan: "It's better to burn out than to fade away!"



Let me save you a little time with this one: if you don't like Michael Cera, Youth in Revolt is not for you. A number of people have grown tired of Cera's softspoken, lovesick characters and I can completely understand that. He has basically been playing the same character since he gained popularity on Arrested Development. That same character he plays over and over is quite hilarious in my opinion, though. If you hate that character, this film offers a different version of Cera that you might enjoy.

Cera still plays his usual character, but Youth in Revolt allows him to pull double duty and play the unlikely bad boy character. It all starts simply enough, sixteen-year-old Nick Twisp (Cera) spends a week or two in a trailer park where he meets the love of his wife, Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday). But Nick has to return home, leaving Sheeni behind. They come up with a plan, however. Sheeni will find Nick's dad a job in the area and Nick will misbehave enough to be sent to live with his dad so he can be with Sheeni. If you're familiar with Cera's usual characters, though, you know it is not in his nature to be bad. So he creates a mustached, constantly smoking alter ego a la Fight Club called Francois Dillinger.

Dillinger is by far the best part of this film. Just watching Michael Cera smoke a cigarette is kind of funny and when you add arson and some ultra snide backtalking it becomes absolutely hilarious. Cera shows some real range with this one and I found it to be his most impressive performance. He plays Nick by the numbers, but Francois is something entirely new for him. I'm just not sure if the new character is enough to get people on board with this film (and this past weekend's box office showing of $7 million proves this). The truth is I don't think the character is enough to change your mind about Cera. For one thing, Francois may be featured heavily in the previews, but he is not in the film as much as you would think.

Michael Cera isn't the only person in the film, though. Portia Doubleday does a good job as the love interest and the rest of the cast is rounded out by some very good actors including Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, Fred Willard, M. Emmet Walsh, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Long. The only problem is that these actors are all in what could best be described as cameo roles. I wouldn't say that they are wasted, but it would have been nice to see a few more scenes with Buscemi. The supporting actor that stood out most to me, though, was Adhir Kalyan as Vijay, Nick's new friend. He made a perfect partner in crime with Cera.

The film also offers some quirky style as well that was kind of unnecessary, but still a bit amusing. During a couple of road trips (and during the credits), different styles of animation are used. It added a little something to the movie, I suppose, but I could have done without it.

Youth in Revolt isn't a very stylish film, but there is a definite tone and that tone is quite dark. The nihilistic characters left me with a feeling akin to Observe and Report. Even the good Cera character seems to be devoid of hope. He mopes around with a "woe is me" kind of attitude and, aside from a few passive aggressive comments, he is indifferent to the men his mom shacks up with. Sheeni is basically the same, as she lives as apart from her extremely religious parents as possible. It just seems like everyone is indifferent to everyone else. But that's the perfect environment for Francois to inhabit.

That's really all there is to say on this one. I can't stress enough that this film hinges completely on Michael Cera. I've found him funny in nearly everything he has done (he even has a couple of funny moments in last year's terrible Year One) and with this I am officially a Michael Cera fan. I just hope his future characters are more like Francois Dillinger and less like Nick Twisp.


Mini-Reviews

Big Fan - Written and directed by Robert Siegel, starring Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan, and Michael Rapaport - Rated R

Big Fan is the darkly funny movie that might be the most aptly titled film of the year. Patton Oswalt is great as Paul, the New York Giants' biggest fan. The film is dark because Paul's life seems so awful: he works at a toll booth, still loves with his mom at age 36, watches the games at the stadium, but in the parking lot through a rigged up TV, and he takes a late night radio sports show so serious that he writes notes to prepare for each call in he makes. But he is seems happy, so what of it? That's enough summary for you; just know that it isn't all that depressing and it's really just a good, simple story with some laughs along the way. I can't stress Oswalt's performance enough, though. He was meant to play this part, it suits him so well. Kevin Corrigan is also good as his equally crazed best friend. Oh, and if you think you take any type of sporting event too seriously, just watch this film and you'll probably feel better about yourself.


A Perfect Getaway - Written and directed by David Twohy, starring Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, and Timothy Olyphant - Rated R

I just want to mention A Perfect Getaway because I haven't been hearing much about the film and it bombed at the box office. If you like a well written, amusing thriller, then do yourself a favor and at least rent this one. I don't want to go into plot details too much. I'll just say that a couple (Zahn and Jovovich) goes to Hawaii for their honeymoon and there is a killer couple on the loose. I found the story interesting and performances were pretty good as well. Olyphant sticks out a bit because he gets to overact and crazy it up a bit and that's when he's at his best. So check it out, you won't be sorry.


Halloween II - Written and directed by Rob Zombie, starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Sheri Moon Zombie, Brad Dourif, Malcolm McDowell, and Tyler Mane - Rated R (Unrated cut on DVD)

This movie just spits venom all over the place. There is no joy in it, no camp, no likable characters, etc. It's all very brutal. That's not really a knock on the film, but I could have used a break from the constant cussing and gore in this film. I would have also liked to have a character to slightly care about. I could care less what happened to Laurie Strode in this film. She was hateful to everyone around, she cusses to the point of stupidity, and she is constantly screaming. I don't just mean when Michael Myers is chasing her, either. She freaks out throughout the entire film. Which is understandable since she's been through so much, but I don't want to see it. And you know what, I don't really care for Michael Myers. I'll take my slasher flicks with a hockey mask, thank you. Oh, and someone should have told Rob Zombie, "Make sure Michael wears his mask the whole movie and he shouldn't have dialogue, not even a single grunted word." Zombie needs to take his "vision" (as the previews called it) to an original story rather than trying to force one of his stories into a Halloween packaging. I would much rather see something along the lines of The Devil's Rejects than this miserable crap. If this film had been made by a no-name, I would consider it mediocre, but Rob Zombie is wasting his time with this, so I judge this a bit harshly.


Up - Written and directed by Pete Docter and Bob Petersen, voiced by Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, and Jordan Nagai - Rated PG

I'm writing a short review on this one because people who know me know that I'm eating crow by giving this a good review. Every time a Pixar movie comes out and people put it in their top ten or just call it the best movie of the year I always roll my eyes and proclaim, "It's a movie meant for children!" Well, I'm not putting this in my top ten (coming soon, by the way), but it's definitely in my honorable mention. The movie, about an old widower (Asner) who uses balloons to take his house on an adventure, is absolutely beautiful (just check out the scene when the house first takes flight in Blu-ray) and it's surprisingly dramatic. The first ten minutes are downright sad. This one just surprised me a bit is all. It's not the best movie of the year, but it doesn't bother me so much anymore that some people claim that it is.