Rating of
2.5/4
Unleash The Beast
Chris Kavan - wrote on 08/12/13
What is it about 2013 and end of the world movies? Craig Robinson also appeared in This Is the End (as himself... kind of) but here he gets to have all sorts of foul-mouthed fun as the anti-Christ himself. Sporting a series of fabulous suits (including an impressive purple number) Robinson just plays the role to the hilt, whether it's singing a delightfully dirty ditty to his bride-to-be, Lindsey (Anna Kendrick) or throwing it down with God himself (Ken Jeong... you were expecting someone more awesome?) - the man is having fun. Also, he was an executive producer, so he had a reason to have fun as well.
But it's not all just Robinson - the most fun I had with this film is how our non-raptured couple dealt with being "left behind" as it were. Kendrik and her boyfriend, Ben, (a perfectly average - but in a good way, John Francis Daley) have to deal with raining blood, annoying locusts (who bite and scream "REPENT" in the most annoying way possible), cursing crows, massive rocks falling from the sky, not-so-friendly wraiths, an undead neighbor who pretends to mow his lawn (Thomas Lennon - a better lawn-mowing zombie you won't find in film) and cities being destroyed by nuclear attacks - and they react to everything with a bored kind of annoyance rather than utter terror. It's like the apocalypse is ruining their day rather then, you know, ending humanity.
It turns out that Ben's dad (Rob Corddry) has sold his soul to the devil, and now works security detail for the most evil man on the planet. While Ben and Lindsey find their dreams of opening a food truck dashed by a massive rock falling on it, they get a ride along to the residence of The Beast (as Robinson likes to call himself). Of course as soon as he lays eyes on Lindsey, he decides she will be the perfect bride and provide him with the perfect children. So he giver her eight hours to decide if she agrees - or he will gladly kill everyone she cares about.
But they come up with an ingenious plan to trap him for 1000 years... in an impenetrable kennel. And all this hinges on getting a bunch of wraiths high (because, for some reason, after terrorizing humanity, they all grew bored and became potheads), convincing their undead neighbor to pilot a riding lawnmower and making the Prince of Darkness chug a roofie. What could go wrong?
If your brand of humor is crude yet deadpan at the same time - this movie is for you. It may not be everyone's brand of comedy, but it worked well enough for me.
