One of My Very Favourite Comedies.

Rating: 10/10 (11 March 2015)

Pineapple Express is one of the many Judd Apatow comedy classics. It is also one of the few that he has done with no sexuality. But there is lots of profanity, drug use and violence. But they are all mixed together in a way that is legitimately funny and not mindless. Sure the characters are dumb stoners, but what comedy doesn't feature dumb characters?
Seth Rogen stars as process server, Dale Denton who smokes pot when not delivering subpoenas. His dealer, Saul Silver, gives him a sneak peek at a new brand of weed called "pineapple express." We get a good look in the lives of Dale and Saul. They chill out and deliver killer dialogue that always make my sides ache. When Dale accidentally witnesses a drug lord (Gary Cole) and crooked cop (Perez) murder Asian competition, he tosses his roach and takes Saul on the run with him because the drug could easily be linked to them. That is when the movie starts taking off and becomes its own. Before this, it is almost like any other Judd Apatow movie or late night comedy. Difference is, the beginning of this is much funnier. The drug lord and cop think that Dale and Saul are working for the Asians and try to destroy them. Meanwhile, Dale and Saul go on the run and take the middle man, Red (Danny McBride), with them. As the movie progresses, the elements of danger and drama rise, with the laughs subsiding. There's lots of action and seriousness that helps this stand apart from other adult comedies. The entertainment doesn't stop, we just get a new kind. The laughs don't go away, so the movie does not lose its focus.
4/4