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Another Spy Sparks Up A PINEAPPLE EXPRESS Review!

Published at:  Sep 12, 2007 10:20:07 PM CDT


Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

KNOCKED UP just showed up here at the Labs today on DVD, and I’m about to throw in the deleted scenes. In the meantime, we’ve got another review for what is shaping up as one of the big comedy titles for ’08, the action-comedy from David Gordon Green that I’m hearing rocks as both an action film and as a buddy comedy. Nice trick.

Does this spy agree?



Call me Ace Venturtle. Here's my take:

Funny funny funny funny movie PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is. Just got back from Burbank test screening, haven’t even taken off my hat. I want to get this out to you guys while it’s all still fresh in my head.

In trying to keep it brief and spoiler free, you want to see this movie because this is Apatow improv comedy (knocked up, virgin, superbad) that had a baby with a stoner comedy like Harold and Kumar, and then that offspring then knocked up Hot Fuzz. (no pun intended). What pops out is this weed comedy-action flick that is the Pineapple Express. This is a Judd Apatow movie with shootouts and car chases.

The plot is a bit intricate, so I summed up the setup that puts the story in motion, and put it at the end, so you can a gist of that only if you want to. Don’t worry, there’s nothing there that happens post-inciting incident.

Rogan is as on top of his game you’d expect, but hands down and lighters up for Mr. Franco here for STEALING THIS MOVIE. (You’d think it’d be impossible to steal a movie from Seth Rogan!) Shit, did this guy catch me from out of left field or what? I mean I get plenty of shit from my friends about not being on the up and up with Freaks & Geeks, but damn does he have some comedic chops. This role goes right down there next to Jeff Bridges as The Dude in the stoner movie hall of fame. James Franco fuckin’ abides.

Now don’t think he’s the only scene-stealer whose virtually every line killed. Danny McBride is fucking golden here. People may know him from HOT ROD, and he gets even more time to shine here, and he eats up every bit of it. Having these three guys onscreen simultaneously results in what I can only describe as a constant stream of laughter that literally does not let up through the entirety of any of their scenes.

I don’t have much anything negative to say about it, except that it could shed about 20 minutes off the running time. Gary Cole and Rosie Perez have a few funny scenes, but nothing to write home about.

Apatow and Co. deserve yet another applause, some more movies, and a big time raise.

Oh and if you want, the plot: stoner (Dale/Rogan) getting by as a process server, has this quite friendly, good hearted, super loopy burnt to shit drug dealer (Saul/Franco) who he’s been buying off of for a few months. Though the two are acquainted in that dealer/buyer relationship, they’re not by any means friends. Though Dale is super cool and nice to Saul, he really just wants to bag up his dope and hit and the road, sort of creeped out by the notion of having any more than a casual relationship with his dealer. But Saul genuinely and earnestly wants to be Dale’s friend. So much so that he hooks Dale up with his best shit, which he dubs “Pineapple Express.” Lighting a doobie in his car outside the house of some dude he’s about to go in and serve papers to, Dale witnesses this dude, and a cop, murder some guy through the window. They spot Dale, and he bails. In the midst of fleeing, he tosses the roach out the window. The dude picks it up, and identifies it as Pineapple Express. Dale goes and tells Saul the guy’s name. Turns out this guy is the lone supplier atop the drug dealing pyramid who sells this particular brand of weed, and Saul is the only dealer in town who has it. This pits them together on the run from the drug lord and the cop. Whew, told you it was a handful.

Apatow and Co. deserve yet another applause, more movies, and a big time raise.


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    Readers Talkback

  • Sep 12, 2007 10:24:37 PM CDT

    I'm totally excited to see Franco set free from

    by kikuchiyoboy

    Spiderman. I'm intrigued to see where he goes next.


    Rosie Perez?


    Sounds like a good time. These guys can do no wrong... yet.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 12, 2007 10:35:26 PM CDT

    Apatow is a god

    by cruel_kingdom

    Seriously.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 12:33:32 AM CDT

    Fish bowl shotgunning in Knocked Up

    by devastating

    That scene in the opening of Knocked Up is how you know that Rogan is a real stoner. If there is one thing that stoners do not do, its waste the smoke(again, I direct you to Rogan's head in the fishbowl). I hope Apatow sticks with these stoner movies with heart, now I can't wait for this stoner flick. From what is sounds like, plenty of suckas will get smoked in this one(pun intended). Lighters Up!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 12:49:27 AM CDT

    Franco is way above the Spider-Man movies.

    by quake ii

    He's so much more interesting to watch than Tobey McGuire. Shit, I even liked Flyboys because of him. And Rogan can do no wrong (so far).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 3:06:17 AM CDT

    James Franco

    by maxdembo1

    James Franco could not act himself out of a paper bag. His self regard is way to high and his acting ability is slim to none.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 4:04:17 AM CDT

    Apatow

    by papabendi

    said something interesting in this months Total Film (UK).
    He said that when he saw True Romance he was most taken with Brad Pitt's character and wanted to see a movie that followed that character.
    Sounds like Pineapple Express could be that movie.
    More power to him.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 4:05:00 AM CDT

    Tops my 2008 must-see list

    by dirkd13"

    Weed-action-comedy, probably the best niche genre ever invented. Would like to hear a bit about the quality of the action scenes though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 4:08:32 AM CDT

    Devastating

    by dirkd13"

    Did you see Rogen on the red carpet at the Knocked Up premiere? The guy was totally wasted.Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/28dm6b

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 4:15:43 AM CDT

    Desario rules!

    by pokadoo

    Can't wait to see this!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 5:21:15 AM CDT

    Lyle Workman scoring this?

    by musicballs

    Because if he isn't, I think Klaus Badelt or Ramin Djawadi would do a really great job!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 7:09:36 AM CDT

    Spoiler: THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS REFERS TO WEED ! ! 1 !

    by pound sand

  • Sep 13, 2007 10:16:23 AM CDT

    YAY! Floyd!

    by down75

    Actually I always wanted to see a movie about Floyd(Pitt in True Romance)as well so this sounds rather good to me.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 10:55:33 AM CDT

    Moriarty. does the DVD "randomize" scenes

    by quin the eskimo

    like Apatow talked about during your set visit?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Sep 13, 2007 12:07:37 PM CDT

    Superbad was better

    by polyh3dron

    Although I saw Pineapple Express about a month ago myself, they may have made it better since. Maybe I'll go check it out again the next time around and see how it's improved.

    Reply to Talkback

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