Netflix Comedy Is Seth Rogen’s Only Goofball Movie You Need To Watch
Seth Rogen made a name for himself in the early aughts with his “stoned slacker” on-screen persona, which mirrored the real-life actor’s care-free personality at this point in his career. While films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad all explore very similar character archetypes in different contexts, Pineapple Express does the unthinkable and (kind of) transforms Rogen into an action hero. Of all the Judd Apatow titles that Rogen has his name attached to, Pineapple Express is by far the most unique, as it celebrates the very tropes it’s attempting to lampoon.
Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express is branded as a buddy stoner action comedy, and there’s no better way to describe the film. Unlike other films in the genre, there is no shortage of explosions, high-speed chases involving hijacked police cars, and gun play that makes you wonder how a movie with such an identity crisis can be so effective in its storytelling. At its heart, Pineapple Express is about two slackers who just want to mellow out and watch videos on YouTube, but as the story progresses we get so much more as a conspiracy is uncovered with Seth Rogen and James Franco caught in the middle of it.
Dale And Saul
When Pineapple Express first introduces Seth Rogen’s Dale Denton, the first thought that comes to mind is, “how many times is he going to play this character?” Dale is a lazy process server who delivers subpoenas by day, and enjoys a healthy amount of recreational marijuana by night (and also by day). Though it’s safe to assume that Dale will spend a majority of his time enjoying his mind-altering substance of choice and maintaining a relatively low profile, the plot quickly shifts when he visits his drug dealer and sort-of friend, James Franco’s Saul Silver.
Much to Dale’s delight, Saul has a new, highly-potent, and incredibly rare strain of marijuana from his supplier known as Pineapple Express. After their initial meetup, Dale returns to work while still enjoying the product so he can deliver a citation to Ted Jones (Gary Cole).
The Comedy Suddenly Becomes An Action Comedy
Unbeknownst to Dale, Ted Jones is a ruthless drug lord who works with crooked cops to ensure that no competing gangs are distributing their own product on his turf. Upon witnessing Ted and corrupt police officer Carol Brazier (Rosie Perez) murder a rival gang member, Dale tosses his roach containing the unique strain on the ground and flees the scene, setting the rest of Pineapple Express in motion.
Dale And Saul On The Run
Ted knows his product when he smells it, and sends his men after Red (Danny McBride) because he needs to know who witnessed the murder. Red, who is Saul’s supplier, quickly throws Saul under the bus because he’s the only dealer currently distributing Pineapple Express.
Now on the run, Dale and Saul use their limited resources and problem-solving skills to flee the city, but not without complications. Not only are they being hunted down by Ted and his men, their lack of judgment causes them to get into a whole mess of trouble as the police get involved.
Critics And Audiences Loved It
Pineapple Express was an overnight commercial hit, earning over $102 million against its $26 million production budget. Critics mostly understood the assignment and praised the film for its ability to mix irreverent stoner comedy with surprisingly impressive action sequences, resulting in a 68 percent critical score against a 73 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. For his portrayal of Saul Silver, James Franco was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
If you’re into action movies that have an over-the-top sense of humor, Pineapple Express is the perfect party movie to watch with your friends on Netflix. Not only will you experience gut-busting laughter, you’ll find yourself wincing as Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Danny McBride take a number of beatings during their epic adventure.
