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After seeing and loving Tropic Thunder I figured Pineapple Express (which opens one week before Thunder, on 8.6) couldn't be quite as funny, despite the many months of advance praise. I trusted the buzz about James Franco being a revelation, but that "meh" Variety review by Justin Chang lowered the expectation factor a notch or two. I finally saw it last Monday night at the Grove, in any event, and about 20 or 30 minutes in I said to myself, "Wow, this is a wee bit funnier than Ben Stiller's movie."
One reason is that Pineapple Express is a classic Cheech-and-Chong-meet- Laurel-and-Hardy stoner comedy. Thunder has a flaky-surreal, stoned-in-Vietnam weirdness thing going on, but Pineapple Express is just funny-funny in a character-chemistry way, although it takes a weirdly violent detour over the last half hour or so. They're both great rides but their funny bones have different DNA.
The reason for the infectious Pineapple humor is the dumb rapport between Franco's Saul, a low-rent pot dealer, and Seth Rogen's Dale Denton, a 25 year-old joint-sucking process server who's reasonably bright but is also fairly silly and clueless at times, especially when the heat's on. The best parts of this film are simply about Rogen and Franco talking to each other in a room. Their back-and-forths are beautifully acted. Franco plays the sweet, not-educated, not-very-bright Stan Laurel character and Seth Rogen does the blustery, somewhat more assertive but almost-as-clueless Oliver Hardy thing. Some of their scenes together are inspired. I was levitating out of my seat.
I also love how even the bad guys in this film (i.e., big-time drug dealers and their gun-toting goons) are given quirks, personalities, back-stories, odd traits and whatnot. Everybody has a bit of a story to tell and some weirdness to spread around.
I have to split for the afternoon, but I'll have more to say about Pineapple Express over the coming days. It's easily the best Judd Apatow-produced comedy since Superbad. It almost erased my memories of Jason Siegel's jiggly man-boobs in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. If it's legit to suggest Robert Downey, Jr.'s performance in Tropic Thunder is Oscar-worthy (and I do feel that way), it also has to be cool to talk about Franco in the same light. As a Best Supporting Actor contender, I mean. The man is dead perfect in the role. It's easily the best thing he's done since that TNT James Dean biopic...what was that, seven years ago?
I was interviewed Monday morning by a Washington Post writer about stoner comedies, and today she wrote back to ask my feelings about Pineapple Express. "The first three quarters makes for a bona fide classic -- I would go so far as to say legendary -- stoner comedy," I wrote back.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 30, 2008 at 12:57 PM
comment #1
rr3333 says ...
Franco's hilarious!
Posted by rr3333 at July 30, 2008 2:04 PM
comment #2
Nick Rogers says ...
Honestly, I was surprised at how little I enjoyed "Pineapple Express." James Franco IS great, as are Danny McBride (equally so in "Tropic Thunder") and Craig Robinson (aka Darryl from "The Office"). And the early scenes with Franco and Seth Rogen are as good as Jeff says, along with a lot of supporting-character detail. But once Rogen has to become a blustery, sweaty hero, it derails. The bro-code stuff between Franco and Rogen falls flat. The car chase featured in the preview is fun, but the rest of the action is so leaden, grim and poorly filmed that I eventually couldn't wait for it to be over. It wants to be "Hot Fuzz," but it's just too joyless for that in the long run.
Now, "Tropic Thunder" on the other hand ... brilliant.
Posted by Nick Rogers at July 30, 2008 2:12 PM
comment #3
iamwhoiam says ...
Saw them both. No comparison. TT is way funnier, and it also original and actually got something beneath the madness. PE is just another Apatow movie. It became a formula, i'm afraid.
Posted by iamwhoiam at July 30, 2008 2:23 PM
comment #4
Katey says ...
I agree completely. Even though Pineapple Express is intentionally a meandering stoner comedy, it feels more focused and tightly scripted than Tropic Thunder. The comedy in Pineapple builds up to that insanely violent last quarter, whereas in Tropic Thunder it kind of comes in fits and starts.
I was surprised to find myself liking Pineapple more, and I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Posted by Katey at July 30, 2008 2:24 PM
comment #5
Gaydos says ...
"If it's legit to suggest Robert Downey, Jr.'s performance in Tropic Thunder is Oscar-worthy (and I do feel that way)"...
Jeffster: I was just told earlier today I was completely mad for suggesting this as a possibility. Now I'm obsessed. It's his best work and one of the most daring and accomplished bits of acting I've seen in ages. If ever there was a noble Awards Season cause....
Posted by Gaydos at July 30, 2008 2:30 PM
comment #6
Devin Faraci says ...
I don't think it's a stoner movie. Pot's the macguffin.
Posted by Devin Faraci at July 30, 2008 2:35 PM
comment #7
Rothchild says ...
I agree with Mr. Faraci. Tropic Thunder's humor comes from surprise and shock value, although the look on Robert Downey Jr.'s face after he delivers every line will probably always be funny.
Pineapple Express is a classic buddy/action comedy, up there with Midnight Run and 48 Hrs.
Posted by Rothchild at July 30, 2008 3:00 PM
comment #8
Ben C says ...
Even if you had a reasonable argument for your assertion, the film's last scene would completely negate it.
Posted by Ben C at July 30, 2008 3:01 PM
comment #9
Rev. Slappy says ...
What is the problem with the Academy and comedy? I've never understood this. Actors will tell you comedy is harder to do effectively than drama and, since actors vote for actors, I have never been able to get a clear reading as to why so many terrific comedy performances get overlooked, particularly in the lead actor categories. It always seems like a great comedy performance will get noticed in the supporting actor categories.
Posted by Rev. Slappy at July 30, 2008 3:54 PM
comment #10
BurmaShave says ...
Did someone just compare this to MIDNIGHT RUN? it'd better fucking good.
Posted by BurmaShave at July 30, 2008 4:10 PM
comment #11
Nick Rogers says ...
>> Pineapple Express is a classic buddy/action comedy, up there with Midnight Run and 48 Hrs.
Someone did. And that someone's been toking the super red espresso snowflake.
Posted by Nick Rogers at July 30, 2008 4:29 PM
comment #12
adaml says ...
I thought the trailer made this about as appealing as open heart surgery, and not quite as funny.
Posted by adaml at July 30, 2008 4:50 PM
comment #13
D.Z. says ...
iam: "TT is way funnier, and it also original"
Um, no it's not original, since just about every cartoon did it first.
Posted by D.Z. at July 30, 2008 5:13 PM
comment #14
actionman says ...
Listen, this is a movie about two stoners running around with some guns. People need to toke up, check it out, and have some fun.
Posted by actionman at July 30, 2008 5:49 PM
comment #15
actionman says ...
And Jeff, why would anything written by Justin Chang lead you to think one way or another about any particular film? I am still at a loss to understand how he gets to review certain films over Todd McCarthy.
Posted by actionman at July 30, 2008 6:08 PM
comment #16
NotImpressedYet says ...
I'm curious about the David Gordon Green aspect - is there any trace of his directing style in the movie?
Posted by NotImpressedYet at July 30, 2008 8:16 PM
comment #17
actionman says ...
I also wonder that, notimpressedyet. Green is one of my favorites; Snow Angels is still one of the best films I've seen all year. Pineapple Express is a loooong way away from Snow Angels.
Posted by actionman at July 30, 2008 8:34 PM
comment #18
Richard_Stone says ...
Saw Pineapple, laughed a lot, but felt like an idiot who had just been patronized by contemptuous filmmakers while walking out of the Q&A with them after the movie.
I have no trouble believing Tropic Thunder has less laffs than Pineapple, but at least they're trying something original with an obsession for detail, and the main narrative is not just a series of stoned riffs on existing clichés and pop classics. Well, I haven't seen the movie yet, but put me down on the Tropic side nonetheless.
And I only counted two laughs in Superbad.
Posted by Richard_Stone at July 30, 2008 8:58 PM
comment #19
Richard_Stone says ...
NotImpressedYet: I've only seen Snow Angels, so I'm not familiar with Green's touches and style, but there are only two moments in Pineapple where I felt there was an auteur behind the camera instead of an Apatow stand-in. Two moments of quiet whimzy, one almost out of a Blind Melon video. The color scheme of the cinematography is slightly more refined than previous Apatow productions.
But most of the movie is just actors ad-libbing in straight conventional set-ups.
Posted by Richard_Stone at July 30, 2008 9:05 PM
comment #20
Edward says ...
I've given up drugs. Do I need to do a hefty bowl to get into the true nature of PINEAPPLE EXPRESS? Holy crap, Cheech and Chong are going on tour too. Pass me the bong dude!
Posted by Edward at July 30, 2008 9:16 PM
comment #21
C-PhreekII says ...
For some reason, I thought TROPIC THUNDER was opening before PINEAPPLE (like this week). A week later? I think it's dead meat. Rogen/Apatow are in the zeitgeist, Stiller/Black are the "old school" guys now. Surprised Wells hasn't hit on this yet, but its the Obama vs McCain matchup of comedy movies.
Posted by C-PhreekII at July 30, 2008 10:02 PM
comment #22
BurmaShave says ...
Downey is the Obama. You forgot Downey.
Posted by BurmaShave at July 30, 2008 10:26 PM
comment #23
BurmaShave says ...
Oh god I just realized that came across as a black joke, but I just meant he was at the peak of his stardom right now.
Posted by BurmaShave at July 30, 2008 10:27 PM
comment #24
Richardson says ...
I'm sure 'Pineapple Express' wil be the highest grossing pot movie of all time, but don't pot movies tend to have a fairly low ceiling?
Posted by Richardson at July 30, 2008 11:04 PM
comment #25
Krazy Eyes says ...
I think PE looks great and can't wait to see it. Is Green still attached to direct that SUSPIRIA remake next? Between that and PE he really seems determined to shake off his earlier serious indie reputation.
Posted by Krazy Eyes at July 31, 2008 6:34 AM
comment #26
Katey says ...
NotImpressed, there really is a decent amount of Green's style in the movie, since he's also working with his longtime cinematographer Tim Orr again. There are a surprising amount of visuall expressive scenes, and a lot of the movie somehow takes place in the woods. Green may have reigned in the style a bit to serve the movie's content, but he definitely adds value by refusing to jump on the Apatow flat-lighting bland-staging bandwagon.
Posted by Katey at July 31, 2008 6:40 AM
comment #27
corey3rd says ...
it is interesting that Green isn't being taken to task for making Pineapple Express. For years he blathered about making his small films and not selling out to the soulless Hollywood Machine. And then he goes off and takes a gun- for-hire slot as part of the Judd Apatow Laugh Factory. Did I miss the moment when John Sayles begged to make Police Academy 14?
And remaking Argento's classic film? Has he decided to drop the Homeless indie filmmaker with a poet soul schtick and accepted the personal of Brett Ratner Jr? Soon Green will be pitching his Cannonball Run III project around town
Posted by corey3rd at July 31, 2008 6:46 AM
comment #28
Brock Landers says ...
It's like the summer of 'Wedding Crashers' vs. 'The 40-Year Old Virgin' all over again. Is it possible to like both? Can't we all just get along?
Posted by Brock Landers at July 31, 2008 7:33 AM
comment #29
C-PhreekII says ...
Uh, corey, you do know that Sayles has worked as a writer for hire on a whole string of blockbuster films and other typical studio crap fare since he began in the business, right?
Your statement also begs the question, have you seen the film? Is it in fact a soulless Hollywood film?
Posted by C-PhreekII at July 31, 2008 10:16 AM
comment #30
corey3rd says ...
a pretty soulless and violent experience from the Apatow machine.
Sayles might get his bucks ghostwriting scripts and he did use Corman to break into the business. But he's never sold out his name as a director to crank out a film for a Hollywood hit machine. But unlike Green, Sayles had a few films in his first four releases that had done more than appeal to an extremely small viewing audience. Brother From Another Planet did afford Sayles to remain independent rather than calling up Cheech and Chong to see if he could direct their new project.
Posted by corey3rd at July 31, 2008 6:41 PM
comment #31
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