Pineapple Hedge
"Putting a violent spin on the Superbad formula (envelope-pushing raunch plus unexpectedly sweet affirmations of male friendship), Pineapple Express emerges as a fitfully funny, tonally trippy but not entirely satisfying effort from the Judd Apatow comic fraternity," writes Variety's Justin Chang in a review that went up last night. Chang is obviously hedging, fence-straddling, not sold. Is this an omen of reactions to come, or is Chang just some fickle Variety guy off on his own beam?
"Featuring Seth Rogen and a scene-stealing James Franco as two pot-addled losers on the run from a ruthless dealer, director David Gordon Green's first mainstream venture is an unruly, literally half-baked hybrid of bloody hijinks and stoner laughs.
"This is certainly one of the better-looking efforts to come off the Apatow assembly line, composed in crisp widescreen images by d.p. Tim Orr, whose poetic lensing in Green's previous films helped earn the director comparisons to Terrence Malick. But production values are somewhat beside the point when the movie in question is more Harold & Kumar than Badlands."
Interesting observation: "In addition to its many nasty instances of stabbing, shooting, groin-kicking and head-smashing, the pic offers perhaps the most graphic case of ear mutilation since Reservoir Dogs. [But] beyond that, neither the comedy nor the carnage warrant further Quentin Tarantino comparisons.
"Some choice lines aside, too much of the humor is predicated on the notion that watching others get high is inherently funny (unless the viewer happens to be in a similar state, it's not). And while its genre-blurring may seem audacious by studio standards, in the end, Pineapple Express still feels too safe, too constrained by buddy-comedy uplift, to have any real bite. Ironically, the stakes seemed higher, the test of the central duo's bond more wrenching, in the far less eventful Superbad.
"At the same time, the pic's feel-good aura is undeniably part of its appeal, rooted in the chemistry of its two leads. As the more rational, stressed-out Dale, Rogen makes a perfectly panicky foil to Franco, who delivers a hugely likable turn as a genial bum who's lonely at heart and loyal to the core. McBride also scores laughs as the corruptible but surprisingly resilient Red."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 20, 2008 at 12:28 PM
comment #1
palmreader says ...
I was at the Century City screening in June. The film is on level with the other Apatow comedies, but it's not exactly groundbreaking anymore. We saw this with Sarah Marshall too. The laughs are there, but the formula is showing grey hairs. We know exactly where the awkward pauses and improvised one-liners are supposed to be.
The fatigue for the audience hasn't completely set in, but it's VERY close.
Posted by palmreader at July 20, 2008 1:03 PM
comment #2
Jeremy Smith says ...
If he's just reviewing the first act, then, yes, the humor is absolutely "predicated on the notion that watching others get high is inherently funny". But that's not how the rest of the film plays.
Posted by Jeremy Smith at July 20, 2008 1:12 PM
comment #3
Arran says ...
What the hell is "LITERALLY half baked" supposed to mean? They put the film in the oven for a while? Do high-profile critics not know what the word "literally" actually means?
This is a bugbear of mine, you may have guessed.
Posted by Arran at July 20, 2008 1:19 PM
comment #4
Josh Massey says ...
Why do people continually seem surprised when Franco turns in great work? The guy has never been short of solid. His turn as James Dean is one of my 10 favorite performances ever.
Posted by Josh Massey at July 20, 2008 1:25 PM
comment #5
actionman says ...
Franco has been awful in basically everything he's appeared in, except for the James Dean movie.
That said, judging solely from the Pineapple trailers, he looks fucking brilliant in the film.
This movie is going to appeal more to people who smoke weed than those who don't. I personally cannot wait.
Posted by actionman at July 20, 2008 1:29 PM
comment #6
corey3rd says ...
Arran - he's making an point that the film is like the stoner epic "Half-Baked." It's a drug reference too. I'm going to guess that bugbear isn't your bong.
The thing that makes Apatow films big office hits is that they also play to female audiences. It isn't merely a theater full of guys that buy the tickets. 40 Year Old Virgin - about a gal. Knocked Up - about a gal. Even Superbad had the business about women in it. Forgetting Sarah Silverman - while it didn't make the big bucks - was about a sweet girl. You could talk a woman into seeing those films.
But what girl really is up for "the most graphic case of ear mutilation since Reservoir Dogs?" They're down for seeing a guy get his chest waxed. But messed up ears is a "what else is playing" moment for plenty of women that didn't mind seeing Seth Rogen being turned into the perfect boyfriend.
Posted by corey3rd at July 20, 2008 1:30 PM
comment #7
Jeremy Smith says ...
Franco was also great in FREAKS & GEEKS and THE DEAD GIRL. It's generally the movies that drag him down (his 2006 was especially brutal: TRISTAN & ISOLDE, ANNAPOLIS and FLYBOYS).
Posted by Jeremy Smith at July 20, 2008 1:33 PM
comment #8
BurmaShave says ...
Yeah 2006 was the year they tried to make him a movie star, and I hope that was the end of that. FLYBOYS is a guilty pleasure though, especially Martin "Torque" Henderson and his pet lion. What a silly movie.
Posted by BurmaShave at July 20, 2008 1:38 PM
comment #9
Arran says ...
I know what he's TRYING to say Corey, however he's misusing "literally". The film is not LITERALLY half-baked. It's like a sports commentator saying "He literally ripped his head off!" David Cross has a great bit about misuse of "literally".
Me, I love a stoner comedy if it's done well and relying on more than just "check it out! They're so wasted! COMEDY!"
Friday, Half Baked (though I'd love to see what Chappelle's "vision" for the movie was, because he says it turned out like a weed film for kids), Up In Smoke...
Actually, that's about it for good weed comedies. Unless you want to count Dazed and Confused, and depending on your views on the rare Ivy League stoner effort How High. Though Brad Pitt's role in True Romance almost makes me wish they spun his character off and made The Adventures of Floyd.
Posted by Arran at July 20, 2008 1:46 PM
comment #10
corey3rd says ...
I know what he's TRYING to say Corey, however he's misusing "literally". The film is not LITERALLY half-baked. It's like a sports commentator saying "He literally ripped his head off!" David Cross has a great bit about misuse of "literally".
--------------
You don't think a few of the cast members were high during certain scenes?
Posted by corey3rd at July 20, 2008 1:53 PM
comment #11
Arran says ...
Literally
1. in the literal or strict sense: What does the word mean literally?
2. in a literal manner; word for word: to translate literally.
3. actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The city was literally destroyed.
4. in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually.
To be "baked", as in intoxicated, is an expression. To literally be baked would mean you've actually been put in an oven. If someone says "I was literally baked!", they're using the word incorrectly.
Therefore, to say the film is "literally half baked" is wrong.
Posted by Arran at July 20, 2008 2:01 PM
comment #12
AndrewOwens says ...
Mmmmm...baked goods.
Posted by AndrewOwens at July 20, 2008 2:10 PM
comment #13
breadlymoore says ...
PINEAPPLE and STEP BROTHERS: two of the most disappointing comedies of the year.
Both somewhat funny, but both hit the same jokes over and over and over...
David Gorden Green wasn't meant for funny.
Posted by breadlymoore at July 20, 2008 2:15 PM
comment #14
breadlymoore says ...
David GORDON Green. My apologies.
Posted by breadlymoore at July 20, 2008 2:19 PM
comment #15
corey3rd says ...
a baby left in an SUV in the parking lot for 2 hours that survives would be Half Baked
Posted by corey3rd at July 20, 2008 2:30 PM
comment #16
MilkMan says ...
Step Brothers would have been a very interesting movie had they actually cast 16 year old boys in the roles, instead of those two buffoons acting like they're 16. Same script, same direction, same everything. Maybe what Ferrell should've done is cast himself as the father. That way the movie gets made.
And the only reason I'm going to see Pineapple is because of Gordon Green. I'm interested to see if his style is apparent at all. I could care less about Rogen. I don't get him or his appeal. Every time I see a picture of his face he had the exact same expression, and his range as an actor so far is on par with that. Funny guy, fine comic writer, get in line, next.
Posted by MilkMan at July 20, 2008 2:36 PM
comment #17
Arran says ...
Now you're getting it, Corey.
Now don't get me started on Americans saying "I could care less". The expression is "I COULDN'T care less". Saying you COULD care less implies that you do care more.
Have I mentioned I'm really looking forward to Pineapple Express? Because I am.
Posted by Arran at July 20, 2008 2:44 PM
comment #18
palmreader says ...
Also, I don't think Seth Rogen can write female characters. Even more so than Superbad, the "Girlfriend" storyline in Pineapple Express is the most forced from an Apatow film. Sure, it's an action movie so the love story isn't important, but it's completely out of place this time around. Almost seems like an after thought: "Seth, you didn't write a female lead. Throw something together and hand in the new draft tomorrow morning."
Posted by palmreader at July 20, 2008 2:52 PM
comment #19
corey3rd says ...
Hey, we're talking about an ultra-violent all-boy stoner flick. Don't be bring your hatred of how Americans talk into this forum, Maybe you'd prefer if we'd stayed home so you could all be talking Germans. Hitler would haven't settled for half-baking your countrymen.
it comes down to a half-baked movie about half-baked characters.
Posted by corey3rd at July 20, 2008 2:52 PM
comment #20
Arran says ...
"Hitler would haven't settled for half-baking your countrymen."
TOO SOON
Posted by Arran at July 20, 2008 2:56 PM
comment #21
Fien Print says ...
If we're criticizing the prose in the review, can we also get outraged by the description of James Franco as being a "scene stealer" here? I mean, he's the freakin' star of the movie. Seth Rogen is the straight man and Franco is the funny man. He isn't "stealing" anything. The scenes are *designed* for him to get the laughs. He isn't stealing scenes from Rogen. Rogen's giving him the scenes.
Similarly, Heath Ledger isn't a "scene stealer" in "The Dark Knight." It's his movie.
Pet peeve there...
Posted by Fien Print at July 20, 2008 3:05 PM
comment #22
The Winchester says ...
Since we're going on about grammar and usage, can I be allowed sucker punches to the groins of people who write "Should of" and "Could of" instead of "Should've and could've"?
I can't wait for Pineapple Express, because of the DGG/McBride reunion. everything else is just icing, but I plan on seeing it both strraight and medicated.
I'm sure I'll find it funnier the second way.
And it's nice to James Franco doing comedy again. He's brilliant in Freaks and Geeks.
Posted by The Winchester at July 20, 2008 3:40 PM
comment #23
Arran says ...
Let's add those who write "peaked my interest" to that list, Winchester. Not to mention the "they're/their/there" offenders.
Maybe Franco's career arc will prove similar to Vince Vaughan's. He made his name with a largely comedic turn in Swingers, and then proceeded to become a square peg in the round holes of dramatic parts. When he started doing straight-up comedy, his career blossomed.
(Not that Franco is incapable of dramatic work; as noted earlier his performance as James Dean was remarkable. Still, he seems to have a more natural affinity for comedy.)
Posted by Arran at July 20, 2008 3:52 PM
comment #24
Jeremy Smith says ...
Two more contributions to the usage heap: "begging the question" and "factoid". Misuse of the latter is now accepted, while no one bothers to correct the former anymore. Still frustrates the piss out of me. Literally...
Posted by Jeremy Smith at July 20, 2008 4:49 PM
comment #25
Fien Print says ...
"Begging the question" is perhaps my largest pet peeve of all, because it's a phrase that's misused maybe 99.5% of the time. Even "ironic" is used correctly more frequently.
Another phrase where the misuse has become the idiom is "pushing the envelope," which Justin Chang *also* misuses in his review, since the expression "pushing the edge of the envelope."
It's a very poorly written review, actually.
Posted by Fien Print at July 20, 2008 5:26 PM
comment #26
ZayTonday says ...
Unless they changed it a whole lot from when I saw it about 10 months ago, it's not all that funny compared to other Apatow-produced flicks... Sarah Marshall and Superbad are way better in the funny department. The action scenes are really well done though, like the cop car chase that starts with a spilled slurpee or the final shootout in the weed greenhouse/military facility. But Franco owns this movie. He's the only reason to see it. Best performance of the guy's career.
Posted by ZayTonday at July 20, 2008 5:28 PM
comment #27
Goulet says ...
Ok, so I've seen PINEAPPLE EXPRESS twice in the last three days and, right now, it stands as my favorite movie of the year.
YES, it deserves to be compared to Tarantino beyon dthe RESERVOIR DOG ear mutilation. There are the drug dealer scenes that recall the Eric Stoltz scenes in PULP FICTION, plus the coffee shop ending that is straight out of that film. And then there's the KILL BILL v.2 style sloppy fight, and the fact that the film as a whole was inspired by Bradd Pitt's character in TRUE ROMANCE (so said Judd Apatow last night!)
Otherwise, it's kind of a cross between THE BIG LEBOWSKI, HOT FUZZ and TANGO & CASH!
Posted by Goulet at July 20, 2008 7:02 PM
comment #28
symscovington says ...
I saw this in Sydney a few weeks back and reviewed it.
http://symscovington.blogspot.com/2008/07/take-slow-train.html
It was pretty lame IMHO, and I was expecting somewhat of a comedy-buddy action masterpiece, based on the buzz. Instead what I got was one of those Pauly Shore movies with a big budget.
Posted by symscovington at July 20, 2008 7:04 PM
comment #29
symscovington says ...
Arran: Can we also add "heart" as in "I (heart) New York", which clearly makes no actual sense. Obviously the heart 'stands for' love, so why not write "I love New York", or "Huckabees" or whatever your game. The "could care less" is one thing, but the "heart" business just makes me lose faith in intelligent Americans' grasp of reality.
Posted by symscovington at July 20, 2008 7:17 PM
comment #30
frankbooth says ...
"Deep-seeded" is one I've encountered recently. More than once and in different places, so apparently it's spreading.
Also "trooper" for "trouper."
And of course, good old misuse of apostrophe's.
Posted by frankbooth at July 20, 2008 7:23 PM
comment #31
Arran says ...
One that cracks me up is people saying (or writing) "All intensive purposes."
And another American one that grinds my gears - which I don't blame folks for using, as it has become the standard there, like with, say, "colour/color" - is "entree" meaning main course. I wonder who started that.
Posted by Arran at July 20, 2008 7:33 PM
comment #32
nemo says ...
"Every time I see a picture of his face he had the exact same expression ...'
Hey, that's Rogen's patented dumbass look you're dissing.
Posted by nemo at July 20, 2008 8:52 PM
comment #33
Terry McCarty says ...
Milkman wrote:
And the only reason I'm going to see Pineapple is because of Gordon Green. I'm interested to see if his style is apparent at all.
Having only recently discovered DGG with SNOW ANGELS and combining that with seeing the PE trailer, it's safe to say that PE has the same clunky, none-too-cinematic look of Apatow's usual stuff--just make the setups functional in case someone improvs something funny during the take--and make sure there are no hairs in the gate when "print" is called.
Posted by Terry McCarty at July 20, 2008 10:47 PM
comment #34
BurmaShave says ...
Don't forget "Try and", as in "Try and stop me". Excuse me? How did this start?
Posted by BurmaShave at July 21, 2008 2:50 AM
comment #35
BurmaShave says ...
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. Danny McBride was Bust-Ass, wasn't he? My head is going to exploooooode.
Posted by BurmaShave at July 21, 2008 2:54 AM
comment #36
Gordie Lachance says ...
Half-Baked:
adj.
1. Insufficiantly thought out; ill concieved.
2. Exhibiting a lack of good judgement or common sense.
The Variety writer used the term "literally" to avoid making a bad pun. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it.
(my "bugbear" is people who have an OCD about correcting other people's grammer.......SO annoying).
Posted by Gordie Lachance at July 21, 2008 4:02 AM
comment #37
Richardson says ...
"But production values are somewhat beside the point when the movie in question is more Harold & Kumar than Badlands."
That's a pretty lousy attitude. "Who cares if it looks good? It's just a dumb comedy." That's why so many otherwise-great comedies look shitty.
Posted by Richardson at July 21, 2008 7:16 AM
comment #38
Josh says ...
Morons and imbeciles like Arran really ruin good forums.
Posted by Josh at July 21, 2008 7:30 AM
comment #39
DavidF says ...
Arran - when you compare Franco's career arc to Vince Vaughan's I wonder what you're thinking.
Franco's breakthrough was in a dramatic role as James Dean. Then he was on the praised but little-seen Freaks and Geeks. Then he did a smattering of medicore movies + the much-more-seen Spider-Man flicks.
Now he's getting back to working with Apatow, who believed in him doing comic stuff so many moons ago.
How does that compare to Vaughan who had his first major role in Swingers and then disappeared into crappy roles before coming back to a decent string of comedies.
I don't see any similarity at all....besides, one is short and the other is tall....
Posted by DavidF at July 21, 2008 9:22 AM
comment #40
Jeffrey Kunze says ...
My biggest pet peeve is when people spell A LOT as one word, ALOT.
If James Franco were to die next week, would we be talking Oscar right now for his performance in PE.
Think bout it ya'll!
Posted by Jeffrey Kunze at July 21, 2008 9:51 AM
comment #41
Gaydos says ...
Sorry to repeat myself from another string, but I can't resist. Just love that Pineapple nut blend, I guess:
Just saw "P.E.", the latest example of Apatovian deconstruction of contemporary comedic tropes.
"Pineapple Express" is the movie "Batman" should have been. Incredible but humanly vulnerable superheroes battling evil and the psycho-eroticization of the American action film has finally reached (sorry) its climax.
It's got James Franco's greatest performance.
And it's okay to laugh.
A lot. (ALOT?)
Posted by Gaydos at July 21, 2008 10:32 AM
comment #42
T. S. Idiot says ...
"My biggest pet peeve is when people spell A LOT as one word, ALOT."
You couldn't be referring to anyone we all know and love, could you, Jeffrey K?
Posted by T. S. Idiot at July 21, 2008 11:28 AM
comment #43
Meegosh says ...
While we are getting picky about it I don't think it is actually possible to literally be half baked. To be baked just means to cook something with dry heat. so as soon as it enters the oven it is baked. It might be half cooked. But it is baked once the heat is applied. So since literally means it is exactly so, it isn't possible to be litteraly half baked. And I am totally with you on the "could care less". That bugs the shit out of me.
Posted by Meegosh at July 21, 2008 4:06 PM
comment #44
Gaydos says ...
Pet peeve 2: The Sequel -
IRREGARDLESS
Posted by Gaydos at July 21, 2008 5:23 PM
comment #45
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comment #46
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