REVIEW - THIS IS THE END

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. Why couldn't one of the six leads in This Is the End be a woman? Just one? Or two? Or three? But yeh, even just one. She'd be no more token than Craig Robinson. One could argue that Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen were writing from a perspective in which they had experience, but then that argument could lead to a discussion on to what extent their perspective is defined by character and not gender, how much gender affects character if at all, whether or not gender is relevant or absolute, and ever so much else that's just not appropriate for a stoner comedy! One way or another, women in This Is the End are defined as being women, in much the same way as men are defined as being an accumulation of a panoply of characteristics. Actually, Goldberg and Rogen are on to something with this angle, teasing out an intelligence that's been hinted at in some of their former work. It's perhaps this that makes the dick jokes seem as random as they do, drafted in as a superfluous signature which they've (and we've) outgrown. Like, they're not even trying to make us laugh any more. The harder they do try, and the more they allow the cast to labour over embarrassingly unfunny improvised comic scenarios, the more This Is the End drags, and with nothing to sustain it for most of its runtime but the sheer strength of its sense of humour, not nearly enough of the jokes stick. Celebrity cameos range from hilarious (Channing Tatum) to awkward (Emma Watson can't even play herself fs). James Franco making fun of the rumours concerning his sexuality is a blatant attempt to score one over the naughty folk who propagate those rumours, and it doesn't make him any more likeable. A possessed Jonah Hill makes a short appearance - much too short, as his demonic turn is the funniest thing in this rocky apocalyptic ride.