Movie Review: Pineapple Express

Directed By: David Gordon Green

Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride

Only two weeks after Step Brothers was released in theaters, another Apatow project made it's mid-week debut. Director David Gordon Green (Snow Angels) takes his first step into the mainstream and comedy with Seth Rogen's second (Superbad) brain child.

Rogen plays Dale Denton, a Civil Servant (hands out subpoenas) who goes from client to client handing people credit card debts and divorce lawsuits, disguised as someone they wont hate. Saul Silver (Franco) is Denton's drug dealer, and gives his friend his first taste of the "rarest of the rare" weed, 'Pineapple Express.' Through already seen circumstances (see; trailer) Denton and Silver have to escape from a gang of drug dealers after Denton witnesses them commit a murder. The long escape of dialogue and retarded situations are what really allure the audience in this film. It's not so much the pot culture, which may draw certain demographics away, but the sheer joy from Rogen and Franco's back and forth dialogue. Are they idiots? Of course they are. Whenever Apatow touches something the character's instantly become dumber. But that might be the biggest (aside from 'loser factor') lure into his projects.

Through Denton's relationship with his hot high school girlfriend (Denton's 25 and she's 18) and Silver's dilemma with his "Bubby," and their interchanging friendship with Red (McBride), you learn to love the characters. Denton provides the consistency and sanity, while Saul gives the relationship a twinge of immature familiarity. And Red's position is just weird (he cannot die?! awesome!). And befitting it's release date, nearly one year after Superbad, I can firmly declare that this was the funniest movie since last August.

Score: 8.9 out of 10