Being called the Casablanca of pot comedies is not necessarily high praise considering the quality of most pot-related films of the past (with the exception of Dazed and Confused). The film is as simple as it comes: a process server (Seth Rogen) witnesses a murder and goes on the run with his dealer (James Franco).
With the straightforward plot, the film takes on way too many stories and characters to give them the attention they deserve. Everyone has their mini problems: Rogen is dating a high school girl who he keeps letting down and Franco wants to find a friend…how touching. These two problems don’t really add anything to the film; rather, just when you’re accepting the fact that this film is nothing more than a fun joy ride, these plots pop up and suck all the funny out of the film. Rogen is typical Rogen, a yawn for me, while Franco runs the show with his lovable, often confused, pothead act.
My favorite part of the movie was any scene featuring Danny McBride as Red. After seeing The Foot Fist Way (the best comedy of the year), I've been telling anybody with ears that he is the next big comedy superstar. His performance in this film confirms my notions and I can't wait to see him again in two weeks when Tropic Thunder hits the screens.
It’s hard to write a long review for this film because there isn’t much there. The laughs are great and they come often, but check story sense at the door. It’s just episodic event after episodic event, adding up to an entertaining journey that struggles to find its own voice. This is disappointing considering the previous works of David Gorden Green. I feel like Green fell into the Apatow world and made the same mistake all Apatow films are guilty of: the use of the one-liner joke. Yes, this is why I didn’t like Superbad, that damn rolling off of somewhat perverted, oh, you crossed the line jokes. I’m all for witty dialogue, but I follow the school of thought that great lines should come out of reactions to plot and situations. Green, like Apatow, places his characters anywhere and lets them foam at the mouth with often hilarious, yet shallow dialogue without telling the cast and crew that maybe we should move on.
When leaving the theaters after one of these films, the conversation is never about the twists and turns, structure, or interesting photography (if you want bland photography see any of Apatow’s films). It’s all about quoting your favorite ball joke. With all this said, I enjoyed the film and recommend it to people for a bunch of laughs, but, in the end, there is nothing special about Pineapple Express.
6.6
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