Review of This Is the End

Outrageously uninhibited comedy starts out simple enough: Seth Rogen and antisocial Jay Baruchel are in Los Angeles and headed to a housewarming party hosted by James Franco where several Hollywood types are in attendance (Jonah Hill, Rihanna, Craig Robinson, Mindy Kaling, et al) with plans to rave like there's no tomorrow. There may in fact be no tomorrow as what begins like any old party takes a turn for the weird, and these soft as baby oil actors find themselves in a quagmire, one that may or may not involve the apocalypse...yes, you did read that correctly. Immature, vulgar, ridiculous, so much so you know it's deliberate, this plays out like a big, extended, outlandishly over-the-top skit that piles on one absurdly silly idea after another, with a top-flight collection of comedic actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves and poking fun at one another while they're on the brink of total insanity. Nonexistent plot does subvert the momentum, and the raunchy gross-out gags are sure to make some viewers feel queasy, but will probably just add some extra hilarity for fans of the actors. **½