Review: Pineapple Express
I’m a little asthmatic right now, and it’s not because I just smoked a bowl. Tonight I saw Pineapple Express , and I laughed so hard that I could—and can—hardly breathe. Seth Rogen and James Franco, who last worked together on Judd Apatow’s television show Freaks and Geeks, shine as a pothead and his dealer who become “bfffs” (best fucking friends forever) by running from a murderous drug dealer and his cronies. Action movies and stoners go together like Doritos dipped in chocolate pudding, right? It’s a combination that, surprisingly, works—especially with this cast.
Seth Rogen plays Dale Denton, a 25-year-old process server with a serious love for weed, talk radio and his barely legal girlfriend. His connection, Saul (James Franco) hooks him up with some very rare “pineapple express,” which Dale is smoking as he witnesses the local pot big shot, Ted Jones (Gary Cole), murder a competitor. Dale and Saul realize, despite their haze, that Jones will not want to leave any witnesses, and the action begins. With the help of Saul’s middleman, Red (Danny McBride), hilarious fights, chases and gun battles ensue. Unfortunately, a lot of the funniest material made it to the trailers that have been playing for months. They are still funny when they are part of the whole, but it’s disappointing that so much was revealed in the preview.
Pineapple Express bears some resemblance to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s last screenplay, Superbad , but the characters and plot in Pineapple Express are more solid. Superbad , which was funny in its own right, warmed us up for Pineapple Express and the Rogen/Goldberg brand of comedy. However, the increase in age of the best friend protagonists seems to bring an increase in homoerotic humor, going beyond the sleeping bag “I love you” to the ambiguous Red claiming “I wanna be inside you, Holmes.” The jokes are not really offensive, but they do get old after the first five or so. Considering the script for Superbad was started when the guys were 13 and Pineapple Express was written before they were 20, it’s no wonder these films don’t exude maturity and are packed with penis humor. Shakespeare they aren’t, but they do a good job of capturing the young male mind as I’ve observed it.
One thing I find disturbing about this trend is the notion that I, as a female in my 20s, am supposed to be annoyed, disgusted or angered by this genre of film. Because I was late jumping on the Apatow bandwagon, I didn’t notice this concept until Knocked Up became popular. Apparently that movie is an insult to feminism. In a similar vein, Pineapple Express can only be funny if the viewer is stoned. Whatever happened to appreciating entertainment for its entertainment value? Not every film needs to be political commentary, nor does it need to make some sort of indie statement. Movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin , Knocked Up , Superbad and Pineapple Express are not supposed to change your life. Views on abortion shouldn’t be influenced by Knocked Up . Seeing Pineapple Express won’t convince anyone that his crimefighting skills will be improved by weed. However, the viewer should walk away having laughed significantly harder than with any of the basic cookie-cutter comedies on the market.
There are plenty of stoner or frat boy comedies available to fill a Netflix queue. Personal preference will define whether someone subscribes to the Will Ferrell sect or the Judd Apatow crew. If neither is really your thing, but it’s been awhile since you had a good laugh, catch a matinee. In a summer where the only really memorable movie is The Dark Knight , a comedy like Pineapple Express is the medical marijuana the doctor ordered.
