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319 comments in total

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112 out of 163 people found the following comment useful :-
James Franco Is The Real Thing, 24 September 2008

Author: M. J Arocena from New Zealand

I laughed more in this movie than in any other of its ilk. Mostly thanks to James Franco. Yes, the James Dean Franco. His comedic timing is startling and his sympathy is all consuming. I think the secret is that we can (Franco allows us) see the human being behind this irresistible caricature. I was totally taken by the strange kind of innocence he exudes. We sense a loyal buddy who is capable of extraordinary generosity. His smile is already an iconic movie landmark. Seth Rogen is also very funny but you can guess that this is actually his character. Nothing wrong with that but James Franco's range is infinite. David Gordon Green makes his "commercial debut" very successfully. The showdown at the end takes a bit too long but all in all this movie is throughly worth it.

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176 out of 294 people found the following comment useful :-
Older Viewer, 7 August 2008

Author: DiamondMindx from United States

I was not interested in seeing this movie as I thought it would be a stupid teen story. My daughter went with her older cousins, she is only 16 and since the theater had strict security I was forced to go in as her guardian. I am 46 years old and I laughed the whole entire movie. By the end I was laughing SO hard that I could not take it anymore. I think I laughed more than the kids. There were so many laugh out loud scenes and the interaction between the characters was pure gold.It really took me back to my younger days-so for you older people this is really one movie you do not want to miss. Be sure to go to the bathroom before because this is definitely one of those pee in your pants movies.

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133 out of 232 people found the following comment useful :-
Vibrant, hilarious mesh of genres, and a different sort of film for David Gordon Green, 6 August 2008
Author: AdnanZ from thecinemajournal.blogspot.com

There will be many who will dismiss "Pineapple Express" as immature, overly silly, disjointed, and scatter-shot. There will be others who recognize it as a bizarrely artful, playful, loose genre-bending comedy with some outstanding performances, an inspired comedy script, and some great work from director David Gordon Green, certainly one of the finest young directors around.

The latter group is correct. "Pineapple Express" is, as a whole, the best movie the Apatow clan has produced yet. David Gordon Green is unquestionably the best director to direct one of these movies, but this is also a very different sort of movie than the films he usually directs. Does he rise to the challenge? He certainly does. I never would have believed that he was capable of directing such exciting and fun action scenes, or keep the movie's tone steady despite the different elements it consists of being so wildly disparate, but somehow he pulls it off. No other stoner movie can claim to be as artful and well-directed as this film.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's much-anticipated follow-up to "Superbad" is an excellent screenplay, but expect none of the realism and resonance of that film; "Pineapple Express" is all about the laughs, and the laughs are certainly here, and they are practically non-stop, with just about every scene featuring some great dialogue, acting, or the sort of incredible sight gag this movie does so well. This is just great comedy throughout.

In addition to David Gordon Green's excellent work as director, the film is technically superb. The soundtrack and use of music is brilliant, and frequent Gordon Green collaborator Tim Orr's cinematography is consistently great.

"Pineapple Express" will be an inherently divisive film. It didn't get the sort of critical accolades many previous Apatow clan movies did, and I expect audiences will also be a little less unanimous. Indeed, there's little of the critic-pleasing dramatic scenes Apatow's comedies have been praised for, and even when they do pop up they're usually deflated instantly with a joke, and credit has to go to director David Gordon Green for his expert handling of the film's tone, which never becomes schmaltzy, thank the heavens. Really, the whole film is throughly enjoyable except for the very last scene in the film, which contains one of the film's best jokes, but is really hard to buy given the state the characters are in, and also more than a little forced. Aside from that moment the whole thing works beautifully, quite astounding given the mesh of many different genres and sorts of comedy that this is. You either go with this movies sense of humor or you don't, and I imagine more people will enjoy the first three quarters of the movie, before the big, long action scene happens, and lots and lots of violence occurs. I guess you have to have a somewhat morbid sense of humor to laugh at ALL of the jokes in the film, but so what? There are also some nice little tongue-in-cheek references to the film's influences ("they messed with the wrong melon farmers").

The cast really give it their all. It was great to see James Franco back in a comedic role, and his performance steals the show. Rogen is good as usual, Gary Cole is a perfect villain, and it's nice to see the gorgeous and talented Amber Heard finally make a quality film (and get one of the film's funniest scenes as her character's final scene). The supporting cast are also all good in their roles.

There are a lot of reasons why "Pineapple Express" won't work for many people, and they will probably end up being the very reasons the film works for those who like it. The film's plot is inherently silly to an extent (although this is nowhere near the "Anchorman" style of comedy), and one must be prepared for an outright comedy and not something in the vein of "Knocked Up". "Pineapple Express" may end up being more enjoyable for stoners and those with friends who are stoners, but it works on its own as great comedy because the humor has much more range and scope than just marijuana. One of the best comedies in years.

9/10

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73 out of 127 people found the following comment useful :-
Not what you think, 9 August 2008

Author: Greasemonkey201 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I really didn't expect much from this film,and I got less than expected.The film starts out a with a few used moments from Super Bad, maybe from the cutting room floor, then it turns into this bad pot action movie with all the crude humor you can squeeze in. The plot seemed basic and then it became too eccentric. You have a process server who witnesses a murder done by the guy he needs to serve papers to played by Gary Cole, who is wasted by little screen time and bad writing, and by a dirty cop played by Rosie Perez, who is always in uniform, which is kind of dumb that even at the final shoot out, she shows up in uniform. James Franco completely ripped off his character from Brad Pitt's portrayal as a pothead in True Romance, which he stole the scene in the three he was in. We then are introduced to James Franco's supplier "RED" who is trying to be like Nick Swardson and doing a bad job at it. The scene with him is long, out played and just goes in every direction except moving the movie forward. Finally Seth Rogen who seems to have phoned in his performance or just played the same guy from Knocked up and Super Bad just gives a performance that irritates you with the best friend lines. Now the movie made me chuckle a few times but the long dragged out scenes and then switching to a fast paced action movie not only confused me, but made me bored. So I give this movie 1 star out of 10 for a few quick funny moments.

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43 out of 70 people found the following comment useful :-
An unfortunate reflection of our culture., 17 August 2008

Author: RagingSunset from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Having gone to the midnight showing with a friend, I was as excited as the rest of the country in witnessing what should have been the greatest comedy of the year to every young adult in the audience. Suffice it to say I was very disappointed. The movie turned out to be one big running "Bro" gag after another.

That being said, let's evaluate the plot of the movie. The basic idea of the film is based around a pothead Dale Denton ( Seth Rogen ) who serves court orders and his dealer Saul Silver ( James Franco). Denton, while finding one of his court orders targets Ted Jones ( Gary Cole ) witnesses the shooting of an Asian drug dealer at Jones's very residence! Panicking, he backs into a corrupt cop's car, into another car and then speeds off in a very amusing scene. From this point on, Denton and the man whose home he returns to, Silver, are forced to go on the run from an insanely persistent drug lord and his thugs who want nothing more than to kill Dale Denton for witnessing the crime. NONE of that is bad whatsoever. It is a simplistic plot that fits a frame perfectly for an action/comedy flick.

It is unfortunate that one of the main reasons I mark this film down is for Seth Rogan's performance. Granted, he has always been a popular actor for "Bro" crowds, but this is a new low. NONE of his material was amusing. His character was virtually the same as his character in Knocked Up, with the only difference being that he stays in his life of pot smoking in the conclusion of this film whereas in Knocked Up he changes his lifestyle. Most of the jokes that Dale Denton is privy too are idiotic even for an Apatow film. His slapstick and mannerisms did more to degrade this film's quality than even the sad fact that this movie will probably convince the American public that marijuana is the way to go in life. And no, I am not anti-weed.

As for how the plot is actually carried out, here is another mark down. It progresses in a linear fashion ( trying to find the man responsible for ratting them out to Ted Jones ) and then suddenly flops into a barrage of stupid scenes involving Denton's underage girlfriend and her absurd father. To make matters worse, the comedy that is used throughout the majority of the film to progress the story is as stale as Seth Rogan's performance.

All of that out in the open, I should mention I have NEVER been a fan of James Franco. I will not deny, he was Phenomenal in this film. Every poor line from Seth Rogan and Danny McBride ( actor who played Red ) was redeemed by his performance as Saul Silver. His character, his portrayal and the comedy that ensues was a riot. Most of his lines made me want to wet myself laughing. If any award should be given out for lead actor, it should be given to James Franco.

Gary Cole gave a great performance as a whack bad guy in this film as well, and I would be lying if I said he in any way took away from this film. It is unfortunate that his talents, as well as the talents of James Franco, had to be wasted on this production.

The third character meant to be a protagonist in a certain sense is Red (Danny Mcbride). Unfortunately, I would argue that his character was as worthless as Denton. Every line from his mouth was one bad comedy cliché' after another that we've all heard over and over again from different films. The pathetic white wanna be thug acting like his life is greater than it is can be seen in films like Waiting ( Andy Milonakes ). Granted, it was amusing when Red in all rights should have died early in the movie and kept returning, but eventually you have to wonder why he's allowed to keep living.

What the film lacked in value to the comedy world it also failed to make up for in substance. There was no great lesson or revelation that the viewer was to experience at the end of the film as in more contemporary modern films, nor was there a moment when the protagonist learned his mistakes and made up for them in years to come (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin, Waiting). Perhaps the filmmakers were trying to be different in this regard, but unfortunately it did not redeem the movie. I had heard Olivia Thirlby ( Juno, The Whackness) was to be in the film.. maybe the extras on the DVD will have her and perhaps offer more substance into the film, who knows.

This was a long critique and for that I apologize. If you must walk away with anything from this review, then let it be this: If you want to see James Franco give a memorable performance, this film is for you. But I caution that his acting aside, this is one of those films that makes me weep for how idiotic and simplistic our culture is becoming-- that, and every "Bro" in your town will be there, so be ready for that hell when you get there.

5/10 ONLY for James Franco and Gary Cole.

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66 out of 116 people found the following comment useful :-
Definitely my favorite Apatow-brand product, and one of the funniest of the year. A comedy with real heart, 6 August 2008

Author: Congregation_Of_The_Spy from United States

It's been a year since the glorious Superbad hit theaters, and here we go again: Pineapple Express is the best comedy of the year, at least in this man's opinion. I haven't laughed this hard in a very long time, nor have I enjoyed myself more while doing so. It's got everything! Fire, weed, guns, car chases, explosions, a beautiful lady, Ed Begley Jr., and of course, blood and guts. Yes, I'm reviewing Pineapple Express, and not some twisted horror movie.

What makes this movie so great and accessible (to the viewer that is allowed to see it, mind you) is that it's got something for every kind of comedy fan: ridiculous action gags, the witty and snappy Apatow-brand dialog, funny cops, hilarious pot jokes, and James Franco playing the most lovable stoner of all time. What I really enjoyed most about this movie is that it has real heart and is not afraid to make the audience know it. It's a great buddy movie to see with all your friends. It doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl, you'll love Pineapple Express.

James Franco (yes, THAT James Franco), taking a break from the latest intense drama or Spider-Man film, delivers the funniest performance since Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat. His Saul is quite the character, and many people in my audience were hopelessly in love with and rooting for him. Though he's a supporting role, the movie belongs to Franco in every way. His honest, sweet, and hilariously charming performance will have you dying of laughter. Seth Rogen is no slouch on the jokes as well, though his character is somewhat similar to his character in Knocked Up (I really hope he doesn't begin replicating his performances like some other comedians do). Danny McBride of The Heartbreak Kid is a scene stealer as well. I found him absolutely hilarious and great even if his character was a total ass. Gary Cole (who has become like, a cult favorite of mine) is nothing but a bonus as the "villain".

I think a lot of credit needs to be given to director David Gordon Green, who had to have noticed how excellent the first act of the film is, because the film was in serious danger of pulling a "Hancock" and falling flat on its face after the first act because of a somewhat serious second act (I say somewhat, because this is when our characters realize the danger they're in). However, instead of that happening, Green turns the action packed third act into one of the most ridiculously hilarious scenes of recent memory. Of course, what happens is absurd, but because you've had the time of your life up to that point, you really don't care. Featuring one of the greatest lines of all time (in slow motion, uttered by Franco of course), Pineapple has one of the strongest third acts of any comedy out there.

Another very strong thing about this movie is that it never drags, and is almost a complete opposite of Superbad. The style of the jokes is different as well. In Superbad, we had the hard hitting, gut wrenching laughs, and in Pineapple Express, we have a steady flow of crack ups that leave the viewer in stitches and hurting by the end of the movie. It really is an experience to behold. It's one of the funniest movies of the decade, and one of the best theater experiences of this year. My theater clapped several times throughout the film, including at the end (and at the iconic slow motion line).

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32 out of 51 people found the following comment useful :-
Why in the world?, 22 August 2008

Author: Ryanb747 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Bummer, The one great word to describe this movie. I Really expected this movie to be a lot better. It was a major disappointment. The movie was way too long, it had a lot of failed comedy in it, and it really over exaggerated Pot smokers. Ill admit some stuff was funny in it but it was definitely a let down. Im not quite sure how this movie managed to make it into theaters, and also I do not get why James Franco would even agree to such a stupid movie and part. If I could I would love to get my $7USD back and go see the dark knight again. At least that movie wasn't a let down like this one. My overall rating for this film is a 4/10

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15 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Who allowed this to offend our screens?, 15 January 2009

Author: jwpicton from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I watched this based on the 7 or so out of 10 it seemed to be getting.... 2 wasted hours later I'm confused as to how this actually came to be released. It smacks of equally stoned and spaced out individuals making it up as they went along.

Besides a virtually non-existent plot, poor character development and a film that's entirely based around an over-rated drug, what I found most disturbing was the callous and gratuitous portrayal of violence. People were shown killing and seriously wounding each other within the atmosphere of a pillow fight. Violence in film these days is commonplace and we have to live with it one way or another (or not if you don't want to watch 90% of films). But violence in most films makes me go ouch, that's got to hurt, or even go off into imagining how people can endure such pain - case in point: the new bond film - strapped down on chair scene, now that was realistic. One could almost feel it. Now juxtapose that with just about any scene of violence in Pineapple express - are you getting the idea?

Anyone who has seen P-EX and fails to understand what I'm on about must be so dumbed down as to be in an advanced state of general human amnesia.

Let's keep it real, we can have fun and enjoy a good flick, but be aware of money grabbers like P-EX - because that's all they are.

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24 out of 36 people found the following comment useful :-
Derails in the second half, 2 September 2008

Author: pauljraab from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This started out as funny & clever and completely fell apart in the second half of the movie. For the first half, I'd give it close to an 8 and for the second a zero, so we'll average out at a solid 4. The second half ceased to be funny or clever and turned into one long, idiotic cliché. Honestly, it really felt like we lost our original set of writers & directors after an hour and they had to find a replacement set from some cheesy action movie. It totally came off the tracks when our light-hearted stoners picked up machine guns along with the rest of the thugs. Did the writers quit smoking weed and start doing meth or something? How could this have started so good and ended up such crap? I don't think I could be more disappointed after all the hype this movie has received.

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37 out of 63 people found the following comment useful :-
I'd rather watch Beavis & Butthead!, 28 August 2008

Author: Turfseer from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Seth Rogen is the type of actor who simply plays himself. In "Knocked Up", there was a positive arc to the story where he plays a loser who must take on adult responsibilities and eventually grow up. In "Pineapple Express", he remains a loser and we can never believe in his journey since he's pitted against a bunch of unlikeable, unsavory comic book characters.

Rogen plays Dale Denton, a process server, who witnesses a murder by a drug dealer and then must elude the drug dealer's hired killers who are out to get him. His buddy marijuana dealer, Saul Silver, joins him as they elude the hit men. Right away you see how dumb the movie is when Denton is able to witness a murder which occurs inside a house in full view of anyone walking on the street. Another ridiculous moment occurs when Saul's marijuana supplier is shot point blank in the stomach but manages to survive and then is strong enough to drive Denton to the drug dealer's lair.

Of course those who wrote the movie undoubtedly will argue that the situations are supposed to be over the top and that's the humor of it. But there comes a point where there are so many scenes that are so ridiculous that one simply doesn't care about the characters anymore. Rogen and Franco do their Beavis and Butthead impersonations but their humor has no subtlety and relies mainly on slapstick to get by. There's a romantic subplot involving Denton's relationship with a girl who's a high school student but that fizzles completely especially at the end when the screenwriters forgot to tell us what happened between the two.

While this is supposed to be a somewhat good-natured farce about two guys who share a mutual love for marijuana, there's a lot of unnecessary violence with drug dealers killing one another during the finale. The ending undercuts the more good-natured scenes between the film's two protagonists.

If you check out the IMDb graph as to the age groups who liked this film, you will see that the older you are, you are less likely to like it. I feel certain that within five years, Seth Rogen will be a forgotten name within the movie industry unless he stops writing and acting in films such as these.

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