Dan's Papers - August 8, 2008

As the "Apatow Era" (as in movies from producer/director/writer Judd Apatow) continues to roll on smoothly, we've gotten used to the fact that we're going to laugh when we see his name in the credits - as every film he's connected to has been pretty darn hilarious. And although the latest product from him and his frequent teammates follows suit, this one's got a whole new feel and a new approach...to being really funny, that is.

Pineapple Express is a sort-of buddy film, denoted as such only because the two leads aren't necessarily buddies. It starts with Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, Superbad) as Dale Denton, a slacker subpoena server with an extremely young girlfriend, who's likeable enough, even if he's already personally surrendered to a sub-par future. The reason? Dale's a dedicated stoner, and while he's not trying to make his pot dealer Saul Silver (James Franco, the Spiderman trilogy) his pal, he's accepted him as an undeniable requisite of his life.

Saul, on the other hand, treats Dale with warmth, although that's seemingly more a side effect of the fact that his brain is drug-fried beyond repair. It's that warm feeling he has for Denton that inspires him to sell his client some high-grade marijuana - branded by the dopeman as "Pineapple Express" - so special to the stoners in this story that when Dale happens to drop a joint, it's easily traced back to Silver...but why the trace in the first place? It turns out that Dale witnesses drug lord Ted Jones (Gary Cole, Talladega Nights, Office Space) commit a murder, and while fleeing, loses the grass - cluing in the bad guys and creating an easier metaphor for the dangers of drug-dabbling in the first place.

Immediately, Dale and Saul are forced to make a long run for their lives, as the drug kingpin's thugs are zeroing in on the doobie duo, who along the way stumble into treacherous souls, fistfights, explosions and - to Dale's chagrin - his lady's parents. If it's sounding like a strange combination of events, you are correct, as this is most likely the most auspicious attempt to turn a stoner movie into a true action flick in the history of Hollywood.

It's not completely rare for drug-addled movies to head in this direction, as the silly '90s potpourri Half Baked and the Harold & Kumar movies both feature characters who find trouble while living under a perpetual cloud of marijuana smoke. But this story, while keeping the heroes high, features enough smash-and-bang action to make a Die Hard film-fan smile.

So the big question: will those who don't love Cheech & Chong humor laugh at this movie? The answer is YES! This is an extremely well written film (co-scripted by star Rogen and co-storied by pack leader Apatow) and more importantly, it's well crafted. Directed by David Gordon Green - a lad better known for thick indies like George Washington and All The Real Girls - the movie recalls gritty comedies of the 1970s, shooting with off-hues and natural hazes (not the first film done like that recently, as this year's Incredible Hulk also employed some low-budget-looking gauzing and shading that recall old kung-fu flicks). These tones add a vital earthiness that lends a super-real feel to an otherwise preposterous tale, leading the viewer to feel as if they personally know people like this. In reality, people who toke at such a fantastic rate as Dale and Saul would probably end up permanently prone.

Nonetheless, those two are lots of fun to watch, although Rogen is flirting with danger by playing these loser-ish types so frequently. His Dale Denton isn't a far cry from the roles he usually inhabits: gentlemen not looking for much out of life. One gets the gist that he may see himself in life as such a guy, or perhaps he feels this is the only hat filmgoers will accept on his curly head; but such a prodigious writer and actor shouldn't be so fast to pigeon-hole himself. Ironically, it's playing such a bum that may actually uplift his co-star's career, as James Franco ends up stealing this movie by being very, very funny. Ordinarily, the actor is quite dull in his films - not bad or unlikeable, just sort of James Dean-ish without any inner turmoil. And just like the pleasure ticketholders experienced when James finally got something to chew on in the third Spiderman (after sulking and slumping through the first two), this movie lights up when the funny Franco is released, so kudos to him. Now let's hope Rogen finds himself impressing audiences in some new territory soon.