Review: Kat Cole

Pineapple Express (2008)

Director: David Gordon Green

OK, I admit it. I watched this film with every intention of hating it. I just never imagined it would be so easy!

Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) is a lazy, pot smoking court-process clerk who meets a new dealer named Saul Silver (James Franco) in his quest to get high. Saul hooks Dale up with a quarter of “Pineapple Express”, a rare and potent strain of bud.

Later, Dale becomes the only witness of a murder conducted by a bent female copper and the notorious and dangerous Ted Jones (Gary Cole), the city’s biggest drug dealer. Dale is spotted by the perpetrators and tries to quickly drive away from the scene, hitting two cars and dropping his roach as he does so. Saul later informs Dale that the strain of weed is so rare that his abandonment of the roach is enough that it can be traced back to him and so they run for their lives, stalked by the bad guys hell-bent on the urge to kill the pair.

If only they had managed!

The best part of the film was also the most disappointing; witnessing James Franco getting stabbed in the shoulder with a fork. Disappointing because it should have been Seth Rogan, and for real. This man is completely infuriating. One has to wonder if he has any other performance angle than the frantic, yelling idiot he continually portrays. Go sit on the naughty step Rogan; you are not funny, nor do you have the redeeming quality of attractiveness. ARGH!

Not even the bloody demolishment of his ear later on in the film was enough to satisfy my hate of this man. Anyone with half a brain cell who has also sat through this travesty would agree with my desire to repeatedly punch the sod in the face. Though that would involve touching the cretin. Eugh.

How could you not want to punch this face?

Pineapple Express is - primarily - extremely slow paced. I’m guessing that this was the “artistic” aim of the director; to reflect the mental delays that stoners can experience whenever under the influence however, I simply found this yawn and anger inducing.

I don’t want or need to have 100s of different cannabis strains reeled off to me, or see the characters constantly sparking unless it leads to decent plot advancements and/or actual humour.

Pineapple Express’ attempt to be clever through the hybridisation of the comedy and action genres failed in my opinion, leaving me nothing but a sour after taste and a new “what-the-fuck!?” furrow to my brow.