Potheads go crazy!

Rating: 8/10 (1 February 2009)

I had few expectations about this film although I was intrigued by it. American humour, for me, either works completely and is laugh out loud or completely misses the point. This film, however, was different.
Seth Rogan plays Dale Denton, a process server whose job it is to serve people as per the law eg with divorce papers or general legal proceedings. This involves him occasionally wearing a suit and handing legal papers to people who promptly swear back at him. In the meantime, between jobs, he's driving and smoking cannabis. Lots of cannabis. In fact, the whole movie's basic premise is the perils of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being stoned.
Enter Dale's drug dealer, Saul, an equally stoned and nonsense talking fellow who sells Dale the 'Pineapple Express' of the title, in this case, a particularly 'good' type of marijuana. And rare. So rare, in fact, that after witnessing a murder carried out by a drug dealer and a female cop, Dale dumps his roach and the drug dealer instantly recognises what it is and who he sold it to. Cue: a whole lot of trouble and fun! This film combines some of the daftest and most profane dialogue known to man, but unlike Tarentino's films, which also come packaged with profane language, there isn't the cruelty element. The dialogue is classic American older youth speak. There are some real moments of sheer laugh out loud stupidity, particularly when Saul and Dale realise what a mess they're in and try to sort it out. There are also 'nods' to other films, like Pulp Fiction's Jules and Vincent, in Ted Jones' two completely different hit men and also a big nod to American Beauty when Dale finally meets his girlfriend's parents.
This is not a film to be taken very seriously. It is a lighthearted bit of nonsense but good fun and it has the spectacle of the normally po-faced and rather glum James Franco (of Spiderman fame) driving around with his foot caught in a car windscreen. What's not to like!