Close, but NO Cheech and Chong

Rating: 6/10 (7 August 2008)

For the stoner or common movie goer out for a good laugh, one thing became very apparent after the first 20 minutes of Pineapple Express...this is not your typical drug infused slapstick. At first, this comedy changed action flick seems to be headed down a purely blazed out light-headed-laughter path...the proverbial yellow brick road that has been the crutch of classics ranging from the aforementioned Cheech and Chong to Dazed and Confused and new crops like How High and Half Baked. Yet, suddenly, like a bad buzz-kill, the movie switches gears from comedy to suspense to action. It is almost as if a different director and set of writers hijacked the film and turned it into your common boneheaded shoot-em up bang-bang. Indeed, I beg those with a few minutes to spare to check out the original Pineapple Express preview at the end of Superbad and see if any connections can be made from that preview to an action movie.
While there are laughs and crack-ups to be found scattered throughout the film, the Schizophrenic plot and mediocre cast of ultimately forgettable characters and performances drags the movie down immensely. Just like any of the great comedic brains, Seth Rogen and co-writers Evan Goldberg and Jud Apatow fall short on a dime of a movie. (Hey at least they aren't like Wil Ferrell who is rounding out his hit list of bad movies) With varying genres and a seemingly undecided viewpoint on marijuana, Pineapple Express left many at the theater with a good laugh and a few "Remember whens" but unlike other Rogen movies, nothing stood out - both acting and pure laughter wise to make even the heaviest toker take a second hit. For those that wish, it is always best to try it once; but don't be surprised if you find yourself saying "Puff, Puff, Pass!"