Impressed

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2009)

Not sure if this has spoilers but, better safe than sorry.
I have never seen any of the Cheech+Chong films, but I know that this was to be up that alley. The previews had amused me, but not really being a whole fan of the "make weed legal" subculture, since drugs seem to shut down the mind of all rational thought (Hell, Seth's character Dale said it himself in the movie, saying "We don't think right when we're high!", or something along those lines). But, I actually did finally sit down and watch it.
And I was impressed. I was going in expecting some mindless comedy with two stoners going across the city dodging gangsters. What I got? A bonified action movie. I mean seriously, there is a fight every fifteen minutes. And not just stupid slap-fights, I'm talking actual in-home brawls and 20on20 gunfights.
This movie started slow but definitely picked up later. In the beginning, Dale Denton calls a talk show and spews pro-marijuana nonsense which I didn't care much for. He also meets with his high school girlfriend, Which I didn't like, but oddly? I have to admit they had some chemistry. I find myself silently rooting for their relationship. I make myself sick, haha. Anyway, the third stage of the introduction is meeting his drug dealer, Saul (James Franco).
James? Are you serious? The first movie I ever saw him in was Spiderman, and I didn't like him. He barely improved. But in this? Holy crap, he led a hilarious performance and thought he happily stole every scene he was in. It was great to see him in a role that required more than just starting at the screen with a fixated scowl.
Anyway, they talk some more drugspeak which, again, I didn't care much for, but being already slightly enthralled, still amused me. So finally, Dale goes to this one man's house who he's trying to report a subpoena to, and witnesses a murder. It snowballs from there into a big action-chase movie.
It doesn't let up. With anything. The humor, the brilliant violence.
If I have any complaints; it's this. The ridiculous falling-out section of the movie where the two leads get into an argument and temporarily part ways. Why do movies still do this? Does every director exchange an exact movie formula, that uses a cookie-cutter scenario in every separate genre? I mean seriously. Watching that segment was like trying to stomach a children's Disney movie. The argument, and the reunite with a bunch of "sorry"s and "I love you, man"s thrown around. It wasn't needed and it was annoying to watch, and it just. Wasn't. Funny. Bringing a dull spot within the movie.
They also seemed to have jumped the shark with Dale and his girlfriend. Halfway through the movie they exchange a final call and then they just forget about her. As I said before, they did a good job making it seem like they had a good relationship, which I wasn't expecting. And at the end,the whole ending seen just kind of dropped abruptly.
In conclusion, I didn't appreciate -anything- this movie stood for. Older men dating high school girls, pro-weed, all that nonsense... But I enjoyed this movie a great deal.