by Darcie Duttweiler

Created on: August 20, 2008

Pineapple Express is a buddy, drug comedy even the most straight-laced will enjoy, even though it does smell super dank, dude. More Superbad and less Cheech and Chong, this bromantic comedy is about the love of two wannabe friends and their mutual love of Mary Jane.

Written and produced by the team that brought you last year's break-out hit, the aforementioned Superbad, Pineapple Express weaves the epic tale of Dale (jewfroed Seth Rogen) and Saul (a dirty-looking James Franco), a process server and his dopey (ha, get it?) ganja dealer and how they become BFFs while on the lam when Dale witnesses a murder outside the home of uber pot dealer (Gary Cole of Office Space fame). And of course, it all started with a little pineapple express, or rather something so delicious it smells like "God's vagina." Yum, yo.

Franco pulls a 180 and discards any leading man qualities to pull off one of cinema's most likeable stoners. If Stepbrothers made the world forget John C. Reilly is an Academy Award-nominated actor, Pineapple Express can pretend that Franco isn't a. hot as shit, and b. a really talented dramatic thespian. Rogen puts on his likeable loser face, and is still totally likeable and losery. Craig Robinson (awesome as Daryl in The Office, the U.S. version), in a fairly minor role as a hitman, delights us with his chocolatey exterior and ooey gooey center as he brings the sensitive side to thug life and hitmen alike.

While the jokes aren't nearly as fast or as furious as previous Apatow outings, the laughs that do come are well-earned and worthwhile. Old ladies, crazy teens, and even stodgy film critics alike were rolling in their seats at the jokes that landed harder than a bong hit. More action comedy than druggie movie, Pineapple Express is a unique choice for indie darling David Gordon Green. His organic and passionate direction of All the Real Girls pays off as he tackles some of the subjects in this film with the same dynamics, but it only furthers the laughs with the outlandishness of the plot.

Shit blows up. Weed gets smoked. Dudebros fall in love. Rogen is so damn likeable (a pat on the back for whoever guesses who that Apatow allusion refers to, hint: You've Got Mail). And Francophila is about to run rampant (fingers seriously crossed). Go see Pineapple Express, but remember to take some munchies, for this film may leave you a bit baked.

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