In between films of more obvious artistic merit, I like to throw into the mix some movies that are selected just for the fun factor. Think of it as a palette cleanser. Hollywood action movies are obvious choices for this role for many people. But I also have a soft spot for ultra-nerdy movies and This is the End is a great example of that.

This movie’s shtick is that it’s chockful of celebrity cameos and they are all playing exaggerated versions of themselves. That an apocalypse is occurring is almost incidental. It’s just a background scenario for the celebs to interact with each other. Cue tons of in-jokes, references to previous films they’ve appeared in and all manner of inanity.

I have to say that there is a lot of appeal in watching what feels like a group of genuine friends taking stabs at each other. It helps that the jokes, while being low-brow, are mostly effective. And of course it’s always fun when the a celebrity cameo pops in. Is that Rihanna? Yes! Emma Watson? No way!

Which is why it is also incomprehensible why the film-makers allow the middle of the film to be so bogged down. A long stretch of the movie involves the actors being stuck in James Franco’s house. It’s a fun premise: watch celebrities fight over chocolate bars. But it drags along for far too long and actually becomes boring. That is a killer flaw in a movie that is supposed to be about silly entertainment.

Overall I don’t regret the time I spent watching this but I can’t recommend it either. It could have been a much better if it had just been slightly more intelligence or it had taken the threat of a global apocalypse just a touch more seriously. As it is, it is just passable light entertainment.