Pineapple Express

After much hesitation, I have decided to come right out and admit that I went to see this movie...albeit it was free, but even so...

Actually, there was much about the collaboration of Seth Rogan ("Knocked Up" and "Superbad") and Judd Apatow ("40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Drillbit Taylor") that was predictable: it was raunchy, it featured chronically stoned ne'er-do-wells and it had a completely unrealistic plot. Nevertheless, these guys have become two of the biggest moneymakers in Hollywood for those same reasons.

That being said, let me talk a little bit about the movie: In this one, "Pineapple Express" is the brand name of a particularly exclusive variety of marijuana, which can only be identified by experts, namely the BIG guy who deals in the stuff, played by my favorite chameleon, Gary Cole ("Breach" and "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!"). His tough sidekick is capably played by Rosie Perez ("White Men Can't Jump" and "Fearless").

Rogan is a process server who stops by his dealer's house to pick up a new supply of pot. His dealer is played by James Franco who surprised me with his comic chops. He has been featured in dramas ("Spiderman I, II and III" plus "James Dean") along with a number of movies I have managed to miss, so his stoner turned frantic fugitive from a ruthless drug dealer was a pleasant surprise.

These two characters are craven cowards, they smoke pot as they flee and make absolutely senseless bungles. About 3/4ths of the way through the movie, Rogan's character thinks Franco's might be dead. He has an epiphany and basically admits he has been a jerk most of his life but it was because he has been stoned most of his life and he can see that's probably the reason.

As they wrap up this unrealistic (but big budget!) story, you have the sense that Rogan's character just might clean up his act...but Franco's character? Nah....

The theater was full of young adults who audibly related to the stoners and LOVED all the blowie uppie stuff!