'The End' Kicks off Summer with Laughs

Summer has just begun and This is the End may have already locked best summer comedy. With cheeky pop-culture references and an A-list cast who play exaggerated and slightly demented versions of themselves, the film may be the comedy audiences have been anticipating this summer.*

Although the plot is expectedly absurd and dismally present, it offers plenty of laughs and high-spirited fun during moments of stagnation with neon hued drug effects, enactments of fictional sequels, verbal confrontations over magazine entitlement and (not so) private video confessionals.

Jay Baruchel arrives in L.A. and meets up with pal Seth Rogen. When Seth gets invited to James Franco's house party, he drags along a reluctant Jay who doesn't want to mingle with other Hollywood-ians - especially not the insufferably affectionate Jonah Hill. All is going well; blunts are shared, Craig Robinson starts singing "Take Yo Panties Off," and the value of phallic art is appreciated. But when mysterious phenomena occurs, some of the party-goers lock themselves up in James' house. As they try to clarify the events that are taking place, they learn a lot about one another and how their life-styles have contributed to their predicament.

The party in the film brings together many familiar faces from past comedies and a few famous names, such as Rihanna and Emma Watson.

If This is the End brings to mind a Judd Apatow film, it's because it contains almost every major actor Apatow has worked in his past few films.** The only, yet quite noticeable, difference is a lack of a well-structured story in the former's case.

To say that this is where the film blunders is to erroneously underestimate writer/director team Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's - and the rest of the cast, especially - talent. Such as in many of Apatow's films, Rogen's comedic craft works best in an environment where improvisation and meta-humor drive the film, rather than the script.

Whether the actors stuck to a very authentic-feeling script or were allowed to ad-lib (which seems like the most likely case), the humor felt fresh and the characters catered to the actors' both on and off-screen persona.

The film makes reference to Rogen and Franco's early career on Freaks and Geeks (which Apatow directed and wrote a few episodes), with wall art of the series in Franco's home and a deep-rooted friendship between the two that visibly bothers Jay throughout the film.

Seeing Baruchel step up to the forefront of the group he usually blends into was a refreshing change, if, however, not as compelling to watch as some of his co-stars.

Most notable was watching Franco play a vain, materially-oriented version of himself. Most of us have heard a story or two of Franco coming off as self-absorbed. Seeing him take on this version of himself was an appreciated gesture.

Danny McBride offered the same profanity-spewing, (most) immoral character of the bunch. His magazine hogging ways may not have been that different from past roles, but his cocky rebuttals were arguably some of the best lines in the film.

Also worth mentioning are Jonah Hill and Michael Cera for playing characters we're not used to seeing. Hill for not reverting back to his pompous, (although fake) Hollywood elite attitude (like he did when he hosted SNL earlier this year) and Cera for departing from his polite, good-guy image and playing a memorable drug-using party boy (Caprisun anyone?)

However, without the hilarity of such moments the film would collapse on a barely-there plot and over-the-top theme given the realist approach from the actors to such events.

It's not the conventional story-line we're used to seeing from some of Apatow's films - and the sharing of actors is the only cause of comparison - but the laughs it elicits are in the same ball park.

Seth Rogen returns to the director's chair, alongside longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg (who made his directorial debut with this film) who co-wrote and co-directed with Rogen.

The duo previously worked on films, such as The Watch, The Green Hornet, Pineapple Express, Superbad and the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy series Da Ali G Show together.

The film also stars Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kevin Hart, David Krumholtz, Martin Starr, Jason Segel and others.

This is the End is not for everyone. It caters to a sharp-witted, young demographic that's old enough to know a show like Freaks and Geeks existed, but young enough to still laugh at celebrated male body parts. For anyone who lands as an outlier of this targeted audience, it's at least worth checking out.

Rating: B

*Although The Hangover Part III has already earned over $275 million worldwide, according to boxofficemojo.com, since its release last month, it has earned dismal praise from both critics and fans. The film has a critic rating of 20 percent on rottentomatoes.com and an average of 6/10 star rating on IMDb.com. Currently, This is the End has an average of 8/10 star rating on IMDb.com, an 84 percent critic rating on rottentomatoes.com and, most importantly, a B from this amateur critic.

** For fun, here is a list of Judd Apatow films (directed, written, created, produced, etc.) and other projects This is the End actors have co-starred in:

• Freaks and Geeks: Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and James Franco.
• Undeclared: Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Hart and David Krumholtz. 
• The 40-year-old Virgin: Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Mindy Kaling and Kevin Hart.
• Knocked Up: Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Martin Starr, Craig Robinson and James Franco.
• Superbad: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogen, David Krumholtz, Martin Starr and Danny McBride. 
• Pineapple Express: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson.
• Funny People: Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Aziz Ansari.

No Phallacy With Phallic Jokes in 'Jump Street'

Do you ever go to the movies and are disappointed when the funniest scenes are in the trailer? Me too. But luckily this isn't one of those movies.

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum team up in the foul-mouthed action/comedy, police-farce 21 Jump Street, a remake of the late 80's TV series that follows two undercover cops investigating crimes-- in this case a high school. And I promise you, no trailer could legally show the funniest scenes in this film.

It's a clever, self-aware story with a simple premise, which as long as you don't take it too seriously you're almost guaranteed a good time. Hill and Tatum's characters are assigned to pose as teen-aged students in a high school to investigate the distribution of a new drug that recently killed one of its students. Hill, having been the unnoticed, unpopular nerd with no lady-swag, gets to relive his high school days by befriending the cool-clique, led by the leader and suspected drug dealer Eric (Dave Franco). Meanwhile, Tatum realizes there might have been more to high school than picking on nerds, chasing girls and undervaluing his education.

 It sounds like an odd pairing, but Hill and Tatum actually work extremely well together--a symbiotic relationship. Hill seems the obvious fit for this type of film, known for his comedic roles, i.e.: Superbad, Knocked Up. But Tatum, who's probably more known for his overly-masculine roles (Fighting, G.I. Joe, Haywire, take your pick) was surprisingly humorous. In fact, the film occasionally poked fun at Tatum's lady-appeal. Their (AP) chemistry never felt forced and both drew some solid and funny performances. I believe both actors can be versatile, when they want. Hill showed us a dramatic performance in Moneyball and Tatum, although have been disappointed with his choice in movies in recent years, gave a very profound and vulnerable performance that I will not forget in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.

What sets this film above other action comedies in recent years is a very self-aware story based on a simple premise. There's almost no chance in being original with this type of story and genre, so the only way to achieve any kind of success is to poke fun at itself. It relies on the idea that its audience is also self aware in order to get away with being a little absurd and stretching the limits of reality to achieve ultimate comic-affect. For example, during a fast-paced car chase both Hill and Channing's characters wonder why nothing's blowing up. And like I mentioned, as long as you don't take it too seriously you can see how clever it can be and will find amusement in all its illogical humor.

And let's not forget--all the dick jokes. Just when you think one dick joke is better than the last another one hits you right in the...well, you get the picture. The jokes are fresh, current and often times crude, making this the ideal film for the teenage, young adult demographic (or at least anyone with a sense of humor, in my opinion).

Brie Larson, Ice Cube, Ellie Kemper, Rob Riggle and Chris Parnell co-star. Cube's expected ruthlessness and bellowing came at no surprise, but also didn't keep me from laughing any harder. I can't stress how self-aware this film is and if you're willing to just be entertained for about an hour and a half, I highly recommend you check out one of the best comedies to come out in a while.

Rating: B+

Moneyball hits it out of the park

     If you're not a fan of the sport, it's hard to imagine sitting through a two plus hour film about the dynamics and statistics of baseball and actually care about it, but Moneyball manages to do just that and leave you with a new found respect for the game.

     Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds) stars as Billy Beane, an ex-Oakland A's player, who got the opportunity of a lifetime when he was drafted, and eventually turned General Manager for the team. Beane is looking to save his team from another season of losses. He wants to re-strategize, get rid of current players and switch them for new ones, but he doesn't quite know the right trajectory to take.

     That's where Peter Brand (Jonah Hill, Superbad) comes in. He's a Yale graduate, with a degree in Economics and a quiet, but powerful appreciation for the sport. It seems unorthodox to hire Peter to pick new players based on mathematics and statistics, but that's exactly what Beane does. He knows he's taking a chance, but in his position he has little to loose.

     It's difficult convincing everyone else at first, when they're used to the accepted practice of hiring players based on hits, pitch speed and how much they're worth, according to the industry. But Beane believes he doesn't need to pay $7 million for a player, based on Brand's calculations, when he can get a good player for a fraction of that. And considering Beane's budget, he doesn't have much of a choice.

     Not everyone is on board with the new tactic, especially not the A's coach Art, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote).  Beane just wants the coach to give some of the players a chance, but Art is not about to let the GM tell him how to coach a team.

     The film is a constant struggle and battle of wills. You wonder if the team will ever be the dream team Beane wanted to put together, if Brand's math is the right injection needed to give the Oakland team a much needed boost and if you're like me: you'll care at all about a sports film? I can't answer the first two, but it's a clear yes for the latter.

     Directed by Bennett Miller (Capote), the film effortlessly infuses baseball knowledge with a story about overcoming obstacles that is never boring or too pretentious for those who know little about the sport. In fact, you don't even have to have any prior knowledge about the favorite past-time. That's thanks to a clever and smart script (based on the book by Michael Lewis) by Aaron Sorkin (fresh from accepting his Oscar from last year's The Social Network), who not only makes it easy to understand the lingo and what's going on, but makes it fun to watch.

     Pitt is the powerhouse behind the film; his character has a sturdy determination and firm approach to everything he does, but hearing him talk about the romantics of baseball is perhaps the finest point in the film. He says, "It's hard not to be romantic about baseball." It's obviously not just a past-time, it's a lifestyle for both those in the industry and fans of the sport. And for those who've seen it, it's hard not to be romantic about this film.

Rating: A