Star rating **** Dir: David Gordon Green With: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny R McBride, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez
It was only a matter of time before reigning king of comedy Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) and his clown prince Seth Rogen (Superbad) brought their brand of film-making to that seedy sub-genre the stoner movie. Going by the evidence of Apatow and Rogen's latest collaboration they had a great time doing so.
Rogen plays (another) slacker, this time round a process server named Dale Denton who's more interested in getting high than serving legal papers. When he accidentally witnesses a murder, which turns out to have been committed by the guy (Gary Cole) who supplies his weed dealer, Saul (James Franco), the pot-heads go on the run from the killer and his partner, who's a corrupt cop (Rosie Perez). That's a scenario that would have the clean and sober checking into rehab. When it's an otherwise useless marijuana connoisseur and his even less capable pal that are having to flee from gun-toting bent cops and escape from burning buildings, however, plenty of belly laughs ensue.
Aside from the inherent amusement factor of the tokers-out-of- their-depth scenario (see Up in Smoke), Pineapple Express benefits from great comic performances and chemistry. Franco, in particular, is a revelation. Having defined his career thus far with po-faced pretty boys (see his Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man movies), he subverts his screen persona with a priceless turn as the most laidback dude since, well, Jeff Bridges' The Dude from the Coens' cult comedy, The Big Lebowski. But the biggest surprise is the presence of arthouse director David Gordon Green (George Washington, Undertow) behind the camera, whose talent lifts the film out of its naturally lowbrow milieu.
