The mark of a wonderful comedy film is when members of the audience are singularity laughing out loud about a previous scene a second time moments after its occurrence. This Is The End produces this kind of laughter often in its 107 running time. There are not many comedic films that can claim this accomplishment.
Written and Directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan, This Is End is the fifth film these two have written together (Superbad, Pineapple Express, The Green Hornet, The Watch). Superbad and Pineapple Express were complete winners, the other not-so-much. However, This Is The End should be considered a cut of above all of those films.
This Is The End accomplishes something few films of its ilk achieve – stringing together a boat-load of clever ideas, skits, inside-jokes, self deprecating humor and parodies seamlessly with few if any lulls. Although from a different era, using a different vehicle and a totally different genre, This Is The End is as fresh and irreverent as Blazing Saddles. Although both are replete with Potty jokes, the irony given the idiosyncrasies of Hollywood funding and public acceptance, is that Blazing Saddles could not get made today nor This Is The end in the 1970’s.
It should be noted that I feel Stripes is similar to and the equal of these films for the first 75 of its 106 minutes, but then loses steam after leaving boot-camp.
