If it's Apatow, it's Quality...

Rating: 7/10 (17 February 2009)

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is Judd Apatow's first real foray away from the romantic comedy (if you can call his offerings by that dreadful moniker) and into the more 'male-appreciated' buddy/stoner comedy. Helmed by David Gordon Green, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS achieves what so many recent buddy/stoner comedies fail to do: make the audience laugh genuinely while not giving in to the temptation of cheap laughter.
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is full of laugh-out-loud moments and memorable one-liners, and is worthy of multiple viewings. This film is not a typical comedy; it is full of violence and crime, and has its 'dark' moments, even though almost all of these end in laughter. The bottom line is that PINEAPPLE EXPRESS never takes itself too seriously, and that is why it works so well.
The Seth Rogen/James Franco duo is quite hilarious and it is refreshing to see Franco in a comedic lead role, as he does brilliantly well. My only real problem with PINEAPPLE EXPRESS is its run-time which exceeds the optimal length for a comedy by about 20 minutes; a more ruthless editor would have probably cut out large portions of the over-the-top action sequences.
Overall, a solid 7/10. 2.5 stars (out of 4). Recommended.