This is the End - 2.5/4 Grownups 2 - .5/4

This is the End  Seen in theater.
Released 2013.
Directed by Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen.
Written by Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen.
With james Franco, Seth Rogen, Yay Baruchel, Emma Watson, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera

Grown Ups 2 Seen in Theater.
Released 2013.
Directed by Dennis Duagan.
Written by Fred Wolf, Adam Sandler, Tim Helrihy.
With Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello, Nick Swardson, Steve Buscemi

I have never done two films at one time, bit when I was thinking about that horrible movie Grownups 2,  I kept comparing it to a very similar movie called This is the End.  So it seems to be the most appropriate thing to do.  The most important similarity is that they comedies in which there are no sacred cows.  All topics are considered fair game.  In other words, they are both very offensive.  And I have no problem with that. I like a good nasty film as much as the next red blooded male.   I read one review that said that Grown-ups is very offensive to various groups, and I agree it is, but so is This is The End.  So why is one film so much better than the other.  Why is the offensiveness okay in This is the End and so miserable in Grownups 2?

Here are some of my ideas of wwhat makes one film better than the other one.

1) Grownups 2 is simply not very funny.  I may have chuckled maybe 4 times. (those four chuckles kept it from being zero stars).  While watching This is the End, I must have been grinning the whole time and laughed frequently.  So basically, Grownups 2 is not very well written.

2) Believability is not something a viewer should be concerned about while watching these films.  The events that happen are so outrageous.  They are outrageous because they are attempting to be over the top.  Both films reminded me of extended SNL shows, especially Grownups 2.  (during those awful 90's years) It was just one bit after another bit. Plot was just a devise to advance to the next bit.  But Grownups 2 kind of tried to be believable and outrageous at the same time.  It even attempted to have a saccharine feel-good message at the end. So the dialogue was real stupid in Grownups 2.

In This is the End, there is no attempt to be realistic.  It is about the biblical Apocalypse and how the characters are dealing with it.    No real plot, just lots of excuses to ad lib and do bits.  They were not at all trying to be realistic, so the viewer doesn't have to try to 'relate; to the characters.

3) I think that This is the End was so much better because, the actors played themselves.  So while the jokes were infantile and in bad taste, they were mostly  pretty much skewering themselves and the Hollywood lifestyle. The self referential aspect of the film was the best part of the film.  Grownups 2 were directing its venom at innocent groups (gays, mental health etc).

Sigh, it was kind of hard to articulate my ideas.  I hope some of this made sense.