Review: Pineapple Express

Rating:

* * *

Verdict:

Another crazy idea, that mostly works, from the Judd Apatow school of irreverent comedy

From the boys who brought you Superbad, co-writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and producer Judd Apatow, comes another outlandish and offbeat comedy.

Only Judd Apatow - on his own high after

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

and

Knocked Up

- could get away with a stoner action comedy.  Much like he did in

Knocked Up

. Seth Rogen, hardly seems to be stretching it when it comes to nailing his character Dale Denton; a man addicted to both talkback radio and pot, whose job as a subpoena server fits in nicely around his hobbies.

One night, stoned on the job, he stumbles upon a murder scene involving a dangerous drug lord and a dodgy local cop. Having left some evidence of his own at the scene, he's soon on the lam with his dealer, the even more slothful Saul (Franco), their mutual habit inducing even more paranoia.

While Rogen's performance is what we've come to expect from him, Franco - last seen taking on Spider-man - steals the show. He anages to take this cliched character and turn him into something strangely endearing, charming and quite lovely.

The only problem with a film about stoners is that potheads can get a little boring. The film is prone to waffling . However, with its send-up action inspired by a mix of 80s cop shows, Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers,

Pineapple Express

has more than enough suprises to induce fits of giggles.

 Francesca Rudkin

Cast:

Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez

Director:

David Gordon Green

Running Time:

111 mins

Rating:

R16 (drug use and violence)

Screening:

SkyCity, Hoyts, Berkeley