Pineapple Express
Cast: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Amber Heard, Danny McBride
Dir: David Gordon Green
Rating: 4/5
With the release of the rather dull, to say the least, Drillbit Taylor last year it looked like the Seth Rogen/Judd Apatow bubble had finally burst but then they returned with Pineapple Express.
Trying to navigate themselves through the minefield that is adulthood a duo of delinquent dudes find themselves cursed by unfortunate habits. Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) is a process server who buys marijuana from a drug dealer named Saul (James Franco) because Saul sells him a new type of pot known as "Pineapple Express.
But when stuck-in-neutral process server Dale Denton (Rogen) inadvertently witnesses a drug-related murder by corrupt police officer Carol Butler (Rosie Perez) and gang leader Ted Jones (Gary Cole) and accidentally leaves behind some of Saul's weed.
Dale and Saul go on the run from the gangsters and discover that sometimes the motivation you need to make something of your life is a mob of fugitives hunting you down.
Rogen, who is once again on screenwriting duties, and Apatow, this time around taking on the role of producer, have delivered a class A comedy and one of the funniest movies of 2008.
All right, all right so the plot is as thin as a Rizla but Rogen and Franco together are pure comedy gold, just two grown men acting the goat. The highs, pardon the pun, are so funny that the lows that do exist in the film can be overlooked.
Rogen must take a back seat to James Franco who is quite simply brilliant. I appreciate that there are only so many ways to play a stoner but he puts his own endearing, lovable spin on the type, portraying Saul as a kind-hearted, well-intentioned yet hardcore dope smoker, who knew he could be so funny?
There is a powerful rapport between Rogen and Franco that is not only charming but it does carry the film, which is at it's funniest when they are together.
And while the movie does expand into a violent comedy with car chases and action scenes this is a movie about pot, but the best thing about it is you don't have to be stoned to enjoy it. Awesome stuff dude!
Pineapple Express is released on DVD 12th January
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw