Pineapple Express (2008)

From Judd Apatow, the producer of such films as Superbad and Knocked Up, comes Pineapple Express movie, an unusual blending of the stoner comedy and action movie genres. Filled with obscure pop culture references (anyone remember Zapped!, starring Scott Baio?) and a surprising amount of gunplay, the film aims to cram in a little something for everyone.

Dale Denton (Seth Rogen, who also co-wrote the script) is a 25-year-old process server who loves to get high. His newest source of chronic is a good-natured dealer named Saul Silver (James Franco). After visiting Saul and purchasing a rare form of marijuana called Pineapple Express, Denton goes to serve a subpoena to Ted Jones (Gary Cole).

Before he can even get out of his car, Denton witnesses Jones and a corrupt female cop (Rosie Perez) murder a man. He flees the scene, but not before dropping a joint filled with Pineapple Express on the ground. Unfortunately for our hero, Jones turns out to be a local drug lord, and he quickly recognizes the special brand of pot.

Denton and Silver flee the killers, but a number of supporting characters are also drawn into the action: Jones’s henchmen, Budlofsky (Kevin Corrigan) and Matheson (Craig Robinson); Saul’s distributor, Red (Danny R. McBride); and Dale’s high-school-age girlfriend, Angie (Amber Heard).

The rest of the film alternates between moments of marijuana consumption and violence. Oh, and there’s also plenty of male-bonding included. Uptight viewers will no doubt be appalled by the whole affair, but everyone else should have a pretty good time (especially those who are “420 friendly”).

As you might expect from a film with two stoners as the protagonists, the overall direction of the narrative tends to lose focus periodically. The real strength of Pineapple Express, however, comes from the script’s clever dialogue and solid performances from the cast.

Seth Rogen plays the slacker everyman, a role which he’s more than familiar with. While his performance is perfectly adequate for a comedy based around marijuana, it’s nothing we haven’t already seen in films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

It’s James Franco who really steals the show. Dressed in a pair of pajama pants throughout the entire film, he imbues Saul with the kind of harmless charm not normally reserved for on-screen drug dealers.

Ed Begley, Jr. is hilarious in his small turn as Angie’s disapproving father, and Gary Cole turns in his usual scene-stealing role. Craig Matheson (best known as Darryl on the American version of The Office) also shines as a henchman who feels his partner is growing soft.

The only part of the film which annoyed me was the eventual ham-handed attempt at cramming in an anti-drug message. It seemed particularly condescending considering the zeal with which the characters had smoked weed earlier in the story.

Despite its tendency to meander, Pineapple Express is an enjoyable movie with a likable cast. While it doesn’t redefine comedy as we know it, it does provide a number of laughs and an equal share of bullet-riddled bodies.

Although the movie has a 3 star rating, fans of marijuana will probably want to add an extra star (if they can remember to do so).