‘This is the End’ is hilarious, even when it shouldn’t be

“This is the End” is brazen, crude, outrageous, immensely self-focused and all too full of itself. So, one could be forgiven if he’s surprised to realize just how brilliant this amalgamation ends up being, considering how awful a comedic disaster it could have been.

“This is the End,” a summer comedy focusing on a Biblical-esque Armageddon/Rapture in Los Angeles and those of us left behind, has the chaotic tendencies of “21 Jump Street” with the insensibility of “The Hangover.” Its profanity and antics border on the extreme (both because of the numerous occasions and the sewer-level style of them), but you’ll find yourself hard-pressed not to laugh. And that’s in large part to co-writer and co-star Seth Rogen.

After partaking in both roles in another sci-fi/comedy flick not too long ago that made critics and audience members alike want to be abducted before they had to watch anymore (“The Watch”), it seems Rogen has returned to form. Meaning, of course, he’s back to performing offensive comedy with aplomb.

But that could just as easily be said for the rest of the main cast: Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride. Whether they each brought their own respectable skill to the table or they naturally meshed, the panicked and at times overwhelming situations seemed manageable.

The bro-tastic group of gentlemen portray … well, just that. While attending a house party at Franco’s insane digs, the boys witness the apocalypse.

And what an apocalypse it is. From devouring celebrities through a portal to the bowels of Hell to “Exorcist” bashing, “End” manages to make you laugh despite a loose and implausible script.

Directed by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who are frequent collaborators, it’s clear the combination of the two paid off. Rogen’s greatest asset, Goldberg brings a sharp wit and devilishly talented eye to his first directorial movie. The pair seem to bring out the best in each other, and in their actors. The six main stars seem to enjoy their roles so much it’s difficult not to be impressed with their enthusiasm. And the blend between reality and fiction (or real fiction and fake fiction, take your pick) is fairly clever. Franco, in particular, embodies this role perfectly, making mention of his video camera from “127 Hours” and art collection extraordinaire. The rest of the group also excels at combining their real-life endeavors with the devastating carnage around them.

But let’s not forget about the cameos. And there are plenty. Adding to both further the plot and add some gut-busting laughs, the likes of Emma Watson (“Harry Potter’s” Hermione) and Michael Cera (“Juno”) show they are much deeper (and verbally filthy) than they may seem. (This whole movie pushes that R rating about as far as it can go, by the way.)

And in the end, that’s the outrageous genius of “This is the End.” It’s clever and creative, and pushes boundaries to their breaking point. It leaves you truly guessing as to what is going to happen next, all without being so disconnected from itself you get lost.

There are some misses, as with any comedy, and, as noted, it can be completely over the top at times. But this is a movie about the end of the world, so cut the guys some slack. If they’re going to hell, they should at least enjoy themselves before they do.

Four apocalyptic stars out of five.