Forget about the p(l)ot. and enjoy

Rating: 7/10 (23 October 2008)

Pineapple Express is the name of the strain of cannabis that serves as the McGuffin in this movie. It's fair to say this film is closer to the original buddy-stoners, Cheech & Chong, than anything else, including Harold & Kumar which are awesome too, in their own way.
Seth Rogen kinda trades places with James Franco, who plays the dealer/stoner Saul. Rogen is Dale, who witnesses a murder which gets the pair in trouble. Confusion and laughter ensues. So forget about the p(l)ot.
This movie has a very 80's feel to it, and sometimes feels like it's paying homages to many different movies. There's action and some blood, but everything is done with some humor, including the bad guys. There's a lot of subtle satire here, but, surprisingly for me, not as much stoner humor as you'd expect.
The great thing here are the convos between Rogen and Franco, who react realistically in unrealistic situations. It's a great mix of action and comedy, and you've ever been a dealer or a 'client', you'll relate to this on a 'higher' level. However it's not a non-stop laughter movie, but it's one that will make you smile for the duration, provided you don't take anything seriously.
Great to watch stoned, too! While it's not the definitive modern stoner movie many were expecting, it's a treat. If the Apatow crew keeps it up, they'll be the John Hughes of the 2000's.
7/10