Remarkably fun and well-crafted.
A movie like PINEAPPLE EXPRESS should not be expected to be talked about in the same breath as CITIZEN KANE or GONE WITH THE WIND. However, it has nonetheless ascended to near the top ranks in its own particularly little sub-genre: the "pot" comedy.
While Cheech & Chong's UP IN SMOKE will probably always lead the pack, simply for being the first (and for being very edgy...in it's day)...EXPRESS is the first film of its ilk to boast huge laughs, modest thrills, enjoyable lead characters and a narrative structure that doesn't fall apart the further it goes. For example, the HAROLD AND KUMAR films can be greatly amusing, but their "plot" grows more and more flaccid and pointless as they move along. The lead "characters" are hardly believable as people...they are comic devices.
In PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, we have the story of a process server (Seth Rogan) who enjoys doing little else but smoking pot. He is decent at his job, but also spends much of it sitting in his...
Proof that James Franco can actually act
This was another in a long line of funny movies from Judd Apatow, but with a lot more action thrown in for good measure. Seth Rogen may always sound and act the same in everything he does, but that doesn't make him any less funny. James Franco is the real star of the show. I always thought he had great potential, but he just seemed so bland in the Spider-Man movies and Flyboys. This is a well acted and funny performance. I heard some people on the web talk about casting him as The Joker in the next Batman movie. Whether it happens or not, I now think he has a chance to pull it off. All the other cast members are weirdly memorable, especially the cat loving drug dealer who just won't die.
Pineapple Express does get really violent and a little gory towards the end, but it is a good mix of comedy and action. It's just plain fun.
3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars
The muddy moments are forgivably sparse...
Truth be told, there were moments in this film where I died of uncontrollable laughter. I mean, Seth Rogen is hilarious, and James Franco is really transforming into an actor I get excited about watching. What happened there? There was a time when I would intentionally avoid movies starring that guy. I must say, he's surprised me. This film is a little unevenly crafted, but the end result is not anything to be ashamed of. It basically follows some stoner idiots as they run from a corrupt police officer and a drug dealer who they happened to witness kill some guy. The film bounces along nicely, remaining forgivably unbelievable. The ending, for me, was a mess and that whole action sequence overload killed a little of the films `fun factor', but the ending diner sequence was a laugh riot so I forgave it. James Franco owns this movie, playing a mindless stoner to perfection with the right amount of overplayed tenderness to make his character a pure standout. Not much else to...
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