Movie Review: Pineapple Express DVD New Release
Seth Rogen, James Franco Board Pineapple Express in New DVD Edition
Jan 13, 2009
Pineapple Express, as with all Judd Apatow productions, holds possibilities of being either very funny or very boring. In the end, it is both pleasantly surprising and mildly annoying in that it settles on the fence with humor that doesn’t always work and an action story that more often does.
There isn’t a lot of fun to be had in the simple act of watching two goons get high. Then again, when their stoned personas are unleashed on the 48 Hrs. styling of eighties buddy-film goodness that follows in the last half, the “funny” part of the fun comes in spurts.
There is enough likability with Dale and Saul to warrant us pulling for them – and enough danger afoot for them to earn some of our concern.
Dale (Seth Rogen) is a process server, and a damn good one for all his pot-smoking downtime. With creative disguises, he manages to serve unwanted subpoenas to every class of person – from haggard housewives to snooty surgeons, no one is crafty enough to avoid him. Too bad the rest of Dale’s life doesn’t shine with the same level of ingenuity.
He is in a seriously off-base “relationship” with high school kid Angie (a dependably sexy Amber Heard – thank God she’s 22 in real life); he spends most of his time smoking pot and calling talk-radio shows with his opinion about smoking pot. One can’t help but think the higher powers envisioned more for him when he was crafted in his mother’s womb.
Dale buys his pot from a kind-hearted dealer named Saul (James Franco) whose only caveat is that he hates “lingerers,” or those people who never know when you want them gone and stay around your place just a little too long.
(See John Belushi in “The Thing That Wouldn’t Leave” – SNL.)
When it comes to Dale, Saul sees something he likes. He wants Dale to be his friend and share all the wonderful activities a stoner likes to do, such as “looking at weird stuff on the Internet” or smoking a cross-joint, this three-tipped contraption that is supposed to “form a trifecta of joint-smoking power.” Dale finds Saul pleasant enough, but hasn’t crossed the threshold from customer to friend. His goal is to get back to his car and smoke pot as soon as possible, especially since Saul has let him in on a new product, “pineapple express,” that is supposed to be so good (as far as pot goes) it can best be summed up as “the product of babyf***ing.”
(Please don’t ask.)
While the humor doesn’t always click, the pacing is top drawer, and while you may not love this film, it won't bore you either. In fact, you may even leave with an appreciation for it. Just keep your expectations at a realistic level.
For more information, go to Internet Movie Database or Video ETA.
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