The latest offering from the Judd Apatow hit machine is a stoner action comedy starring the still-not- grown-up Seth Rogen and, casting against type, James Franco as his dealer. The setup for this laugh out loud feature has Rogen witnessing a murder by a dirty cop, whereupon he ditches the roach of "Pineapple Express" he was smoking, which can be traced by the bad guys back to his dealer. As usual with Apatow movies, the humor arises naturally from the situations and the characters in the story. The dialog has a fresh and spontaneous quality, and the locations look like today's real life.
Director David Gordon Green, who wrote and directed the very different "Snow Angels" (2007) here makes the transition to comedy well. I can't say the same for the action sequences, which look a bit clumsy and forced and over the top. Of course all action sequences are over the top, but here there is a real disconnect with the realism of the rest of the movie.
Nevertheless, "Pineapple Express" is well worth the time, and will leave you smiling, even if you're not in an altered state.
Rated R. 111 minutes. David Gordon Green - Director, Seth Rogen - Writer (screenplay) (story), Evan Goldberg - Writer (screenplay) (story), Judd Apatow - Writer (story) / Producer, Shauna Robertson - Producer, Tim Orr - Cinematographer, Graeme Revell - Composer, Chris Spellman - Production Designer, Craig Alpert - Editor. Distributed by Columbia Pictures.
Principal actors: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez, Danny R. McBride, Amber Heard, and James Remar.
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