The previews for this profane apocalyptic comedy made me cringe; much of the actual film does as well.  Its dialogue is needlessly, stupidly grotesque, and so are many of the real-life based characters.  Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Emma Watson and many other actors appear as themselves — or, to be precise, caricatures of themselves — in Los Angeles as the world enters its final act.  They hide in Franco’s pretentious house until forced to face the apocalypse, their own mortality and the slim chance that any of them will be able to get into heaven.

It is a comedy, so occasionally something funny occurs, or is said, but this isn’t my type of comedy.  It consists of rude, offensive, insulting, stupid remarks and actions by people who evidently believe that is how they are supposed to act.  I hated this aspect of the movie; it seems artificially pumped to an extreme.  Part of it is parody, of course, but it was still painful to watch and hear.  One wonders how the parents of some of these people feel watching their adult children cavort in such ways.

And yet, the film (which is co-directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen) offers a surprising amount of philosophy as the world burns.  Jay Baruchel divines that what’s happening really is the Biblical apocalypse, and persuades his friends that pure hearts may save them.  Then the movie turns into an action picture, with goofy special effects and glowing white light when someone is called to their final destination.

I have to give the film credit for being imaginative and philosophical — but I still don’t like it.  It’s version of heaven is too ridiculous to contemplate, yet I suppose it was fun for the filmmakers to create.  The film dares to be something more than just one more stupid comedy, but it just isn’t for me.  ☆ ☆.  5 August 2013.