Smell it. It’s like..God’s vagina.

I’ve been waiting to see Pineapple Express since I saw the 4:10 clip on the bonus features of the Superbad DVD released in December of 2007. I have a very vivid memory of watching this clip with a buddy of mine and we were high lollin like crazy. The wait was finally over last night.

Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) is a process serving pothead. He spends his days getting high as hell and serving people subpoenas. When Dale’s stash runs out, he takes a trip to his dealer’s house to fill his prescription. Enter Saul Silver (James Franco). After being introduced to the most pungent and rare hydroponic available (Pineapple Express), Dale has one more person to serve for the day, Ted Jones (Gary Cole), a known drug kingpin. While waiting outside his house and lighting up his 12th (I think) joint of the day, Dale witnesses Ted commit murder. He immediately freaks the fuck out, tosses his roach, and heads for Sauls. Ted, alerted to the fact that his actions have been witnessed, finds Dale’s tossed joint and realizes he was smoking Pineapple Express. Due to the fact that Saul was the only dealer in town with the Express, Ted is hot on his trail. Scared shitless, Dale and Saul come to the conclusion that they have to run to survive.

Back in April I claimed Forgetting Sarah Marshall to be the funniest movie in 2008. Well, that was in April. Pineapple Express, I’m confident to say, will be the #1 comedy of the year.

Seth Rogen is a force to be reckoned with. If you didn’t know, along with Evan Goldberg, Rogen wrote and produced this movie. The same goes for Superbad. While he was originally set to play Saul and James Franco to play Dale, the switch works out perfectly. Rogen as the lead actor in Pineapple Express definitely works out better for those of us who enjoy his comedic style, and while he has the most to do with the immediate story, the film is stolen by James Franco.

From the minute you see Franco as Saul, you can’t help but enjoy watching him. Rogen has stated that Franco was the least experienced with herb out of the two. While this may be true, watching this movie you’d never know it. Franco could have played the regular film pothead that we’ve come to expect; a mumbling, bumbling douche who talks like a surfer and lets out a “Duuuuuude” every few lines, but he doesn’t. He shows us an actual person who has feelings and views. He cares for his grandma. He doesn’t like every person he deals to (as most dealers don’t and the buyers end up with schwag). He’s incredibly good-natured and sweet, but isn’t scared to take the gloves off once he’s been hurt. He’s a complete character and a memorable one at that.

There have been a few herb-related movies that have been released during my lifetime, but not many. However, it’s easy to tell the difference between a “stoner movie” and a “comedy” that involves the use of THC. How High?, stoner movie. Half Baked, stoner movie. Smiley Face, horrible stoner movie. But Pineapple Express is different. Yes, it shows a lot of drug use (only weed), but that isn’t what carried the story. While this makes Pineapple Express different, it also makes it genius. It doesn’t rely simply on stoner-related funnies like the other movies mentioned above. For example, hearing Jim Breuer babble out a list a mile long of the food he wants to calm his munchies in Half Baked can make you chuckle and think “Man, he’s so high.” But you can’t relate to it. Hearing James Franco talk about the scientific ingenuity that went into this super-rare-ultra-potent weed that no one has but him, then saying “Only 10 more bones for a quarter.” Yeahhh, that’s relate-able. (Not that I relate.)

I already have plans to see Pineapple Express again this coming weekend and I’m sure it won’t be the last time. If you have or haven’t smoked weed, it really doesn’t matter. Don’t put that stigma on this movie. Go see it, you will enjoy it.

9.5 out of 10.

Tags: Comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Movie, Movie Review, Murder, Review, Guns, Shooting, Action, Drugs, Knocked Up, Superbad, Weed, Marijuana, Herb, High, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Pineapple Express, How High, Half Baked, Gay Cole, Danny McBride, Evan Goldberg, Joint, THC, God's Vagina, Stoner, Jim Breuer, Munchies, Drug Dealer, Dealer, Kingpin, Rosie Perez, Pipe, Blunt, Smiley Face