Seth Rogen continues to be highly entertaining and finding new ways to be what this author wants to dub the “stoner everyman”. That is to say the characters he plays, like Dale Denton here in Pinapple Express, are funny, observant, clever, and self-deprecating, and very into marijuana.
The fact that Dale Denton is almost no different in character than Ben Stone from Knocked Up or Officer Michaels from Superbad really doesn’t matter. Seth Rogen is so good at making this type of character likeable and funny that you forgive it.
Pineapple Express’ ludicrous plot and situations work because Seth Rogen is just darned earnest. It also helps that Rogen is anchored by James Franco and other talented supporters in the Judd Apatow juggernaut.
James Franco, the Lonely Pot Dealer
James Franco does a fantastic job as Saul Silver, Dale Denton’s dealer who provides Dale with the titular weed that gets them both on the bad side of local marijuana kingpin Ted Jones (played by Gary Cole).
Franco nails the completely spaced drug dealer and provides some emotional core to the movie. Saul Silver is an obviously lonely person. Saul projects his loneliness onto Dale who believes is more than a drug buyer, but a friend.
Saul’s constantly relaxed demeanor tempers Denton’s near manic reactions. This interplay makes the movie very entertaining. Seth Rogen and James Franco do a very convincing job playing off each other so kudos to them
Pineapple Express Positives
· Well-acted with some genuine laughs
· Craig Robinson as a hitman
· Ridiculous hyper-violence that sends up action movies
· No preaching about the benefits or drawbacks of the weed smoking lifestyle
· Deeper than the surface. Silver needs a friend, Denton needs direction. The two are meant to be friends
Pineapple Express Negatives
· Not enough Craig Robinson as a hitman
· Gary Cole and Rosie Perez’s characters are both one note villains also bereft of screen time. A shame considering how entertaining Gary Cole can be
· A bit longer than it needed to be
· Dale dates a high school girl (Amber Heard) but that plot thread is dropped very suddenly
· Beginning of film, while funny, does not fit very well with the rest of the film with the exception of its location.
Overall Opinion of Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express is a genuinely engaging film with a lof of laughs. While you won't be gasping for air in between laughs, you will still be entertained. You need to be in a good mindset (no, not necessarily stoned… but if that helps) to really appreciate it. Just lean back and go for the ride. This movie is definitely worth seeing in theaters.
It is this author’s hope that Craig Robinson gets his due soon and headlines a movie. Mr. Robinson has come out of left field and has been wonderful in everything he’s been in from Dale in The Office to Pineapple Express.
