Matthew ShalluePineapple Express
Pineapple Express (2008)
Director: David Gordon Green
Writers: Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg
Starring: Seth Rogan, James Franco, Danny R. McBride, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez
After the success of Suberbad, writers Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg had quite a task to ensure their second comedy project was just as fresh and funny. Unapologetic stoner film Pineapple Express takes us through similar territory to Suberbad, but with a step to the side and a few new detours.
Laid-back process server Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) chose the wrong place to have a quiet spliff in his car. His relaxing finale to the day is shattered when he witnesses a bloody murder through the window of a nearby house. And his bad luck doesn’t stop there: the murderers are none other than the local drug baron (Gary Cole) and a corrupt cop (Rosie Perez), who begin a manhunt for Dale when they identify the weed in his hastily-discarded joint as the uber-rare 'Pineapple Express'. Panicking, Dale drives to see his drug dealer Saul (James Franco), whereupon the two of them realize that they need to get out of town quickly. What follows is a comic series of misadventures as Dale and Saul try to use their numbed wits to stay one step ahead of their would-be killers. Dale and Saul smoke weed, bicker, and ultimately bond in a man-crush of hilarious proportions.
The film has its low points, including a few must-be-stoned-to-enjoy moments, such as a montage of stoned antics and silly dance moves. Yet Pineapple Express does not fall victim to these moments too frequently, and the laughs are lowbrow but not stoopid.
The latter part of the film involves a surprising amount of violence, ear-maiming, and action for the genre, and while this is an interesting inclusion, it does steer slightly too close to the twin demons of cliché (e.g. Asian gangs with ninja outfits) and taking itself seriously. A moment of reflection on the ills of marijuana rings too much of a 'responsible message to the viewers.' This is not to say that the film falls down as a result of these minor distractions; it maintains enough genuine laughs and quirks to keep the audience engaged through the sections that don't flow as freely.
Seth Rogan has earned his stripes as both writer (Superbad) and leading man (Knocked Up), and is convincing and charming as the complex and confused Dale. James Franco is brilliant as the quintessential couch-bound stoner with a heart of gold whose dumb one-liners only add to his appeal. While the main characters are well developed, the baddies are rather one-dimensional, and Gary Cole and Rosie Perez fail to wow.
Pineapple Express isn’t just Superbad all grown up. It has as subtle veneer of...well, almost sophistication...to its humour and storyline, as well as the anticipated crowd-pleasing combination of hot girls, drugs, and bromance.
Director: David Gordon Green
Writers: Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg
Starring: Seth Rogan, James Franco, Danny R. McBride, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez
Photo courtesy of Google
After the success of Suberbad, writers Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg had quite a task to ensure their second comedy project was just as fresh and funny. Unapologetic stoner film Pineapple Express takes us through similar territory to Suberbad, but with a step to the side and a few new detours.
Laid-back process server Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) chose the wrong place to have a quiet spliff in his car. His relaxing finale to the day is shattered when he witnesses a bloody murder through the window of a nearby house. And his bad luck doesn’t stop there: the murderers are none other than the local drug baron (Gary Cole) and a corrupt cop (Rosie Perez), who begin a manhunt for Dale when they identify the weed in his hastily-discarded joint as the uber-rare 'Pineapple Express'. Panicking, Dale drives to see his drug dealer Saul (James Franco), whereupon the two of them realize that they need to get out of town quickly. What follows is a comic series of misadventures as Dale and Saul try to use their numbed wits to stay one step ahead of their would-be killers. Dale and Saul smoke weed, bicker, and ultimately bond in a man-crush of hilarious proportions.
The film has its low points, including a few must-be-stoned-to-enjoy moments, such as a montage of stoned antics and silly dance moves. Yet Pineapple Express does not fall victim to these moments too frequently, and the laughs are lowbrow but not stoopid.
The latter part of the film involves a surprising amount of violence, ear-maiming, and action for the genre, and while this is an interesting inclusion, it does steer slightly too close to the twin demons of cliché (e.g. Asian gangs with ninja outfits) and taking itself seriously. A moment of reflection on the ills of marijuana rings too much of a 'responsible message to the viewers.' This is not to say that the film falls down as a result of these minor distractions; it maintains enough genuine laughs and quirks to keep the audience engaged through the sections that don't flow as freely.
Seth Rogan has earned his stripes as both writer (Superbad) and leading man (Knocked Up), and is convincing and charming as the complex and confused Dale. James Franco is brilliant as the quintessential couch-bound stoner with a heart of gold whose dumb one-liners only add to his appeal. While the main characters are well developed, the baddies are rather one-dimensional, and Gary Cole and Rosie Perez fail to wow.
Pineapple Express isn’t just Superbad all grown up. It has as subtle veneer of...well, almost sophistication...to its humour and storyline, as well as the anticipated crowd-pleasing combination of hot girls, drugs, and bromance.
