rodrig58 The movie starts very well, it continues very well, up to the half of it, then it all becomes monotonous and hard to follow. Absolutely blame on the script, because the actors are all excellent, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Sally Field, Joanne Woodward, and, in smaller roles, Carl Reiner, Strother Martin, Robby Benson and Norman Fell. There are many fun scenes but, overall, the film is a failure, it's not easy at all to make a great comedy about death and suicide. Dom DeLuise is the most hilarious, the jokes about Polish people that his father told him are the funniest of the whole movie. One of the last roles for Myrna Loy and Pat O'Brien.

Hitchcoc Burt Reynolds has a death sentence. He decides that since he's terminal, he may as well get it over with. He tries in numerous ways to kill himself, but it seems that either he isn't ready to die or someone leaps in to save him. I just could not get into this film. It isn't the subject matter. It isn't my own feelings about death. It isn't some kind of pact with myself and the people who are adamant that hell is ready for these sinners. I just didn't buy Burt Reynolds. I thought the thing was dull. Then again, I've never been a big fan of Dom Deluise. He was much too manic for me. Reynolds never seems address his situation with seriousness. Too many one-liners and jokes about the inevitable. I know some will say something about suicide being a cruel act. But this film diminishes the feeling.

jbartelone With the talents of Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise, most people would expect The End to be hysterically funny, as it has often been referred to as an under-rated "Black Comedy." The problem is "The End" is only funny in spots. Other times it tries to be a serious drama. The plot basically has Burt Reynolds, a real-estate executive, diagnosed with a terminal blood disease. He is told that he has less than a year to live, that the range could be as short as three months. Desperate, Burt decides to contemplate ways to commit suicide. After a failed attempt, he lands in a psycho-ward, where a patient (Dom Deluise) tries to help him achieve his death wish. At the film's conclusion, Burt decides that life is worth living after all, but his deranged inmate and friend is still trying to kill him in a memorable ocean-side scene as the credits roll.Another issue is that Burt's character, Sonny, never fully develops into someone really likable or funny, which is a shame, because Reynolds really tries to make the character work. While there are some chuckles from one-liners, a lot of the times, Sonny's moods are very "bipolar", often in the same scene. One minute he says something funny, and thirty seconds later he's moping around feeling sorry for himself.Dom Deluise also tries very hard to be comical, but again, he is only funny in spurts. The best scene in the movie is with Burt and he on the "tower" trying to carry out Burt's death wish! I think that is the funniest part of the movie. However, most of the time, both protagonists seem forced in their dialog. Burt's fake "crying" is so obvious when he is depressed in this movie, that "Sonny" often becomes more annoying than comical.I agree with another user who said that "The End" tries to be more than it is. However, the premise of the movie is uncertain where it wants to take the viewer. The first half is more serious than funny, and the second half is more funny than serious, but the movie just doesn't "come together" very well. I put the film just slightly above average at a six for the great "Tower Scene" and the song, "Another Fine Mess", which is good. However, this movie is not as good as it could have been.

Roger Thwing Up there with Groundhog Day for philoso-comedy. Carl Reiner makes every second count. Dom is desperately lovable. Sally shows she can act. And Burt is at his understated best. Unfortunately for Burt, he was 25 years too early with this now timely reflection on death and dying -- boomers did not want to be worried about death in 1978. Now that we are beginning to realize that we too are mortal, this movie should get the appreciation it deserves. Those of you who are turned off by movies dealing with ethical and personal dilemmas won't like this movie. You would think that with all the attention paid to the ethics of extending life and assisted suicide that this movie would be required viewing for the right AND left. I am convinced the Burt will be remembered because of this movie. Death be not proud.