This is the End - When a 'Super Bad' Tornado Meets a 'Knocked Up' Volcano

The wife and I were lucky enough to get early passes to see the early screening of This is the End thanks to Gofobo. The staff presenting the picture was extra emphatic on keeping a lid on all the deep dark secrets, so while we were waiting in line to see the flick, security alerted us that we needed to take all electronics out to our cars to prevent anyone recording any bit of the movie.

For a movie about the end of the world, taking away cell phones is a good way to get people empathizing with the characters.

Before the movie started, we were told, "If any of you have somehow smuggled your cell phones in past security through any orifices, go ahead and keep them there because our security team has night vision goggles. And if you found that comment offensive, you should leave now because there is much, much worse in the actual movie."

So before I continue with this review, I'll go ahead and say that if you've seen Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Super Bad, or Your Highness and found them offensive, you should go ahead and skip this movie. And maybe all other movies, because you have a bad taste in movies.

Since the audience took a blood oath not to spill the movie secrets (especially the super awesome secret amazing ending) this might be the first review at The Amazing Spider-Matt that is fairly spoiler free!

At it's core, This is the End is about friendship.

It's about how friends grow apart, and the difficulties of trying to hold onto the past and still changing yourself for the future. It's about survival, forgiveness, sacrifice and loyalty.

And it's about dicks and balls and weed and a lot of masturbation jokes.

The movie starts with Jay Baruchel (How to Train Your Dragon) returning to Los Angeles after a hiatus to visit long-time friend, Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), the two planning to have a weekend together. Plans are thrown out of whack when Seth decides to take Jay to James Franco's (Spider-Man Trilogy) housewarming party. There they meet up with the rest of the main cast: Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine), Jonah Hill (Super Bad), and Danny McBride (Your Highness). It's at this party that some of the funniest moments in the whole movie take place. The majority of the cast play versions of themselves and that's where a lot of the really good humor is.

Probably one of the funniest scenes in the movie is when Michael Cera (Arrested Development) - his movie self being a coke-fiend - asks Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka McLovin) if his coke smells bad, blowing a handful of it into his face. In fact, any scene in the movie with Michael Cera is golden.

Midway through the party the end of the world hits the Hollywood Hills and after a mass decimation of most of the party goers, the new and old friends board up James Franco's house and try to survive Armaggedon and each other.

Great Moments in the Movie:

• Awesome celebrity cameos and casting choices, not the least of which is Emma Watson (Harry Potter Franchise) playing a bad ass Apocalypse fighting version of herself.
• I loved Hot Tub Time Machine, and Craig Robinson was one of my favorite actors in that. Getting to see him again in a movie was great. 
• The wife hates him, but I love Danny McBride. He can take a level of offensiveness higher than anyone else. He's pure guy humor. Danny McBride is kind of how dudes like to smell things and say, "Oh my god, this smells horrible. Here smell this." That's what Danny McBride is. That awful smell that you want to share with your friends.
• What happens when a group of actors get bored during the rapture? They make homemade sequels to their own movies of course. Hilarity ensues.

The movie reminded me of all the other great comedy movies I love. It even has a decent Clerks vibe thanks to Jay Baruchel who really comes across as having a "not even supposed to be there today" attitude. 

This is the End will be a definite see again in the theaters and Blu ray purchase if only for the expectations for some damn good Line-o-Ramas and Outtakes. Honestly, there are so many parts of the movie that I want to share but shouldn't. Because you should just go see it yourself. And then come back here and talk about it in the comments. 

This is the End officially comes to theaters June 12th.

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Disclosure: This is a non-sponsored review. Gofobo provided free tickets for the masses (and not for this review) and the purpose of this review is based solely on my love for the product/company. No product or monetary compensation was given to me by said company.