Pineapple Express

I firmly believe that the so-called "stoner flick" can now be considered a legitimate genre of movies. But strangely, this type of film is only popular in America. Don't expect any stoner movies to come out of Philippine cinema anytime soon, as it won't happen. We are too traditional to even attempt to use drugs or drug-related humor in our entertainment. Sad but true.

Anyway, critics have been calling Pineapple Express as the Cheech and Chong of the new millenium. It's about time Hollywood veered away from the stereotypical Mexican pothead to the more politically correct stoner─someone from everyday life. Seth Rogen (who co-wrote the screenplay with Evan Goldberg) plays a process server here (one who summons people to court) who, incidentally, is a pothead. James Franco, on the other hand, abandons his pretty boy-image and plays the drug dealer with such finesse that he was actually nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.

The story starts out as an ordinary stoner flick, where we viewers are bombarded with images of weed, weed, and nothing but weed. So the real potheads in the audience will either have smoked some shit before watching, or will not be able to wait to roll one and blaze it up. Anyway, as the movie progresses, it starts to leave the path of the pure stoner flick and becomes more action and buddy-oriented. But the humor, drug-related or not, is consistent, which is what I would've expected from any comedy produced by Judd Apatow.

Pineapple Express, sadly, did not make a regular theatrical run in local cinemas. Distributors probably thought that movies like this will only click with the rebellious crowd, which is only a small percentage of our not-so-liberated movie-going countrymen. Anyway, they should've looked past that and invested in it not because it's a weed movie, but because James Franco is in it. So just catch it on DVD. At least you potheads can get to roll one and light it up while you're watching it at home.


Rating: Four stars.