Blu-ray

Actors Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson find themselves trapped together when a party they're attending is interrupted by the end of the world. And as supplies start running low, their friendship is pushed to the limits by in-fighting, demonic possession and an irate Emma Watson…

Ignore the familiar second act bloat that blights so many modern comedies (although this one fares better than most with a relatively modest 104-minute running time), and revel in the gags – This Is The End is an absolute hoot. The cast deserves particular credit for being willing to indulge in such grotesque self-parody – and not just the main players either, with the likes of Michael Cera and Channing Tatum also happy to subvert their image in cameos.

Picture: This Is The End arrives on Blu-ray with a great-looking AVC 2.40:1 1080p picture that packs masses of pixel polish into every shot, while skin tones appear natural and vibrant reds and orange flames dominate the apocalyptic panoramas that bookend the bulk of the action. If there's any obvious flaw it's that blacks are sometimes prone to crush, which robs the image of some shadow detail.

Intriguingly, the rear of the Blu-ray sleeve indicates that This Is The End has been 'Mastered in 4K'. However, it obviously doesn't fit into Sony's official 'Mastered in 4K' range due to the fact that so much disc space has been given over to bonus features.
Picture rating: 4.5/5

Audio: With large portions of the film devoted to nothing more than people standing around shouting at one another, This Is The End doesn't necessarily feature the most exciting DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix you'll ever hear.

However, in those scenes where things do get a little more chaotic (such as the mayhem as the apocalypse begins in Chapter 3 or the monster chase in Chapter 12) the soundtrack steps up admirably with plenty of dynamic surround effects and subwoofer-bothering bass.
Audio rating: 4/5

Extras: Fans of the movie will love the bonus features that are on offer here. These include a commentary from the filmmakers, five behind-the-scenes featurettes (including a look at the making of the hilarious Pineapple Express 2 home movie), Rogen and Baruchel's original 2007 short that inspired the film, alternate line readings, a gag reel, eight deleted scenes and a host of marketing goodies including cast confessionals and the red band 'sizzle' trailer. Overall it's a fine selection that puts other disc releases to shame.
Extras rating: 4/5

We say: Apocalyptic action ensures that this cracking comedy has some surprisingly strong hi-def chops

This is the End, Sony Pictures, All-region BD, £25 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 4/5