Although the summer movie season began, thanks to big-budget Hollywood blockbusters, with a bang, it seems to have ended with a guffaw, as August has been dominated by comedies. More remarkably, however, is that many of the high-profile comedies are based around original ideas, and not rehashes of old and lifeless plots.
One of the funniest and most unusual August comedies is “Pineapple Express,” the title of which refers to an exclusive and expensive variety of marijuana. “Pineapple Express” is the story of Dale Denton (Seth Rogan), a twenty-something with a dead-end job, a girlfriend in High School and an addiction to marijuana. When Denton arrives at a rich man’s house to deliver a subpoena, he witnesses a brutal murder.
Fearing that evidence he left at the scene of the crime might lead the bad guys back to him and his drug dealer, Saul Silver, Denton decides to scoop up Silver and go on the run.
In many ways, “Pineapple Express” is a buddy comedy, like “48 Hours,” or “Lethal Weapon.” Amid all the jokes, fights and stunts, there is some serious male bonding going on. The most hilarious bits come from the interaction between Denton, Silver (James Franco) and Red (Danny McBride), the drug dealing middleman. Franco is especially hilarious as the lonely and paranoid drug dealer who finds profundity in the least meaningful things. He steals virtually every scene that features him.
The supporting cast in “Pineapple Express” is also entertaining, especially drug kingpin Ted Jones (Gary Cole) and his two henchmen, played by Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson.
The star of “Pineapple Express” is its screenplay, which is very funny, silly and, at times, brilliant. Penned by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the pair who wrote “Superbad,” the screenplay allows its characters to act outrageously because they’re high most of the time.
The screenplay also tricks the audience into liking all of its characters, even though some are killers, some drug dealers and most amoral. This affection is most likely the result of the farcical nature of “Pineapple Express,” where all the action seems to be occurring in a safe, fictional universe. The plot is so improbable and the characters so comical that we forgive its moral ambiguity.
Rogen and Goldberg’s next joint project will be a film remake of “The Green Hornet,” the story of newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who fights crime in secret. Details on the project are scarce, but with their history of irreverent comedy, Rogen and Goldberg are sure to bring some absurdity and silliness to the traditional action-adventure storyline.
*** out of ****
Also playing:
Three Kings ***
Street Kings ** 1/2
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