Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen

Writer: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

Starring:  Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride

Tomatometer: 84/82/89 (all critics, top critics, audience)

Spoiler-free Summary: Jay hates Los Angeles, but he comes to town to visit Seth, his best pal.  Although Jay is hoping to spend his vacation with Seth by his side, Seth drags him to a party at James Franco’s new house.  The party is a star-gazer’s dream, but Hollywood stars are the very people Jay tries to avoid.  Sadly, Jay gets stuck in the house, along with his rivals, as they witness the apocalypse, just outside James Franco’s front door.

Two Cents: The general rule states as follows: When greater than four, the number of famous people in a movie is inversely proportional to the quality of the movie.  In simpler terms, the more celebrities, the worse the movie.

Exhibit A: Valentine’s Day

Exhibit B: New Year’s Eve

Exhibit C: Mars Attacks!

I could go on, but you get the point.  When I saw the trailer for This is the End, I threw up in my mouth.  How could so many of my favorite comedic actors sink to such a level?  Do I really need to watch a bunch of rich, famous, lucky bastards who “made it” sit around discussing how great they are?  Hell, no!  Besides, hasn’t the world gotten over Seth Rogen by now?

Then came the reviews.  To my surprise, days before its release, This is the End was piling up rave reviews from film critics, the most pretentious naysayers on Earth!  (I don’t consider myself a film critic, as I’m not nearly qualified to be one, but you should feel free to form your own opinion about my pretentiousness.)  Obviously, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

This movie blew me away.  No joke.  I was extremely impressed.  I don’t think it was a fantastic movie, but I do commend Rogen, Goldberg, and their pals for putting together a raunchy and hilarious interpretation of the Bible’s description of Armageddon.  Not only do they poke more than enough fun at themselves, but they tear down all pretenses about Hollywood, in general.  Although many of the characters are exaggerated (or completely falsified) versions of the actors playing them, the filmmakers make it crystal clear that they are truthfully depicting the young Hollywood lifestyle.  It’s a douchebag-infested swamp of undeservedly inflated egos, faux friendship, and debauchery, and it will be Satan’s first stop when he does destroy humanity.  Still, it’s pretty darn fun.

As much as I dislike his acting (although, I loved him in The 40-Year-Old Virgin), I greatly admire Seth Rogen as a writer.  He possesses the remarkable ability to write scenes that are simultaneously vulgar, funny, and heartfelt.  He knows who his friends are, and he knows their skills, bringing out the best of each one in every single scene.  His obsession with abnormally gigantic penises (which first surfaced in Superbad) is something he should share with a therapist, but it is still funny.  (Next time, it probably won’t be.)

Of the main cast, James Franco has compiled the most impressive résumé.  However, he seems most comfortable when surrounded by this crew.  He’s definitely here for the experience, and not for the paycheck.  Jonah Hill has followed in Franco’s footsteps, in some ways, even notching an Oscar nomination for his work in Moneyball.  He’s got plenty of skill, but he’s the least interesting character in this film.  Normally the one on whom a film relies for comic relief, here, Hill pales in comparison to Danny McBride.  One of the more vulgar actors working these days, McBride is responsible for some intense laughs as an even-more-ridiculous version of his famous Kenny Powers character.  Jay Baruchel is likable, and just the right amount of irritating, as the Woody Allen of the group, and Craig Robinson’s clean-ish comedy is a much-needed chaser to offset the movie’s overall crudeness.

Altogether, Rogen and Goldberg have managed to turn one of the most debated portions of the Bible into a bona fide comedic revelation, while still delivering a powerful message.  The cast is superb, and the cameos only add to it.  Rogen and Goldberg’s shared ability to control the cast, focus on plot, and avoid getting carried away with improvised bits is staggering.  Most of all, their description of heaven is precisely in line with what I’ve always hoped the real thing would be.

Of course, rules are made to be broken, and this ensemble cast delivered when I doubted them.  However, let’s hope no other groups of Hollywood pals decide to follow in their footsteps.  I can’t think of many (if any) crews that possess as much talent and self-control as does this one.

Should I/Shouldn’t I: If you’ve been waiting for a legitimately good comedy to hit theaters in 2013, This is the End is a must-see.  You won’t be knocking Tommy Boy or Caddyshack off your list of all-time favorite comedies, but you’ll easily satisfy your humor quota for the week.  

Sundae Rating: Two scoops with whipped cream