PINEAPPLE
EXPRESS
Starring:
Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Ed Begley Jr., Rosie Perez, Amber
Heard, Kevin Corrigan, Craig Robinson and Gary Cole
Director:
David Gordon Green
Running
Time:
111 mins
Out to buy on Blu-Ray & DVD 12/01/09
"I love you, man!"
Dale (Rogen) loved his life. He had a job that he was really good at, a very young girlfriend who adored him and his dealer Saul (Franco) had just come into some of the best weed ever to be produced. It all goes wrong when Dale witnesses drug lord Ted Jones (Cole) kill one of his Asian rivals in cold blood. Panicking, he returns to Saul's place, leaving his half smoked joint behind but that joint could lead Ted's men back to him or is it just the paranoia hitting.
After cornering the market on Hollywood comedy, producer Judd Apatow moves into the action genre with a bit of comedy thrown in for good measure but can his company make the jump?
With hit after hit coming from his production comedy, writer/director/producer Judd Apatow has redefined American comedy for the new millennium. 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy', 'The Forty Year-Old Virgin', 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby', 'Knocked Up', 'Superbad', 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' and 'Step Brothers' have all hit the box office, big time, but have all been character driven, slightly wacky and rude but for 'Pineapple Express' he changes his formula and for the most part it works but there are a lot more flaws.
Co-written by Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the team behind 'Superbad', you would have expected more laugh-out-loud moments but 'Pineapple Express' only ever manages to raise a smile but there is still plenty to enjoy here. Mixing action with comedy can be a difficult process and takes some skill to pull it off, as Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg did with 'Hot Fuzz', but here the action and panic comes before the all out comedy unfortunately.
The story is a simple one. Process server Dale Denton, played by Apatow stalwart Seth Rogen, loves his job but also loves his weed. His dealer Saul, played with great stoner gusto by James Franco, has just come into some of the best weed to ever hit the West Coast. Called Pineapple Express, the pair enjoy a joint and it totally blows their minds but when Dale lights up outside of the house of the next person he supposed to serve a subpoena, he sees him shot and kill an Asian man in cold blood. Panicking he heads back to Saul but the person he witness killing someone is local drug lord Ted Jones, played by Gary Cole having fun, and he finds Dale's discarded joint, instantly recognising he was smoking Pineapple Express and he knows only one dealer in LA sells this blend. This sends Dale and Saul on the run and this is when the action high jinx start.
The supporting cast back up the story. Danny McBride provides most of the laughs as Red, Saul's supplier and one who bears the brunt of all of the violence. Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson make fun henchmen and it is good to see Rosie Perez back on the big screen as a corrupt police officer. Amber Heard also continues to make a big impression on Hollywood as Dale's high school girlfriend Angie.
'Pineapple Express' isn't on the same par as Judd Apatow's previous hits but it is still enjoy, simply because of the performances of Seth Rogen and James Franco. The action sequences are also very fun, with the finale standing out even amongst established action franchises but it is the lack of genuine laugh out loud moments mean that this isn't quite as funny as Apatow fans may have been expecting.
PICTURE & SOUND
The Blu-Ray disc presents the movie in High Definition wide screen 1:85 up to 1080p, with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound.
BONUS FEATURES
Commentary
with the filmmakers and cast
Director David Gordon Green, producer Judd Apatow, screenwriter Evan Goldberg
and stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride and Ed Begley Jr provide
a fun and very chatty commentary for 'Pineapple Express'. As with all
Judd Apatow productions, this is a very funny and another fine example
of how a commentary track should be put together. The filmmakers and cast
sound like they really enjoyed making the film, with many behind the scenes
stories and a lot of mickey taking throughout.
Deleted
Scenes (3.27 mins/Standard Definition)
Entitled 'Elevator', 'Food's still warm' and 'Troy', these deleted scenes
suffer from the lack of a commentary track or introduction to explain
why they were removed.
Extended & Alternate Scenes (21.06/Standard Definition)
Entitled 'Private Miller', 'Forest', 'Prairie Dog', 'In the van', 'Kids
buy weed', 'Police Liaison', 'Angie's hotel room' and 'Diner', these scenes
show the improvisation style of Judd Apatow films. The Making of Pineapple
Express (21.08 mins/High Definition) Director David Gordon Green, producer
Judd Apatow, screenwriter Evan Goldberg and stars Seth Rogen, James Franco
and Danny McBride take you behind the scenes of 'Pineapple Express'. Trying
to make a Jerry Bruckheimer movie while high, the featurette shows how
the film was approached, working with the director and producing an action
comedy.
The Action of Pineapple Express (12.19 mins/High Definition)
Director David Gordon Green, stunt coordinator Gary Hymes and stars Seth
Rogen and James Franco talk about the training with guns and cars to make
the action as authentic as possible.
Phone
Booth (6.25 mins/Standard Definition)
Entitled 'Part 1 - Happy' and 'Part 2 - Angry', see Seth Rogen practice
the phone call to Amber Heard's character, his girlfriend Angie.
Line-O-Rama
(3.28 mins/Standard Definition)
Watch the cast improvise some of the lines within the movie
Director-O-Rama
(3.47 mins/Standard Definition)
Watch director David Gordon improvise his directional style and have some
fun on set
Gag
Reel (4.55 mins/Standard Definition)
Watch the cast have fun with their lines and make many mistakes on set
Item 9 (4.17 mins/Standard Definition) Watch the Defence department test
the effect of 'Item 9' on soldiers in the 1950s, with hilarious results
Saul's
Apartment (13.46 mins/Standard Definition)
Entitled 'Assassin', 'Justin', 'Mr Edwards' and 'Bubby', Saul has some
visitors to his apartment.
Raw
Footage (32.43 mins/Standard Definition)
Entitled 'Cross Joint', 'My Cat's Birthday', 'Tit Butter' and 'Dinner's
gonna be cold tonight', watch the full, uncut scenes as they were filmed.
Begley's
Best (5.43 mins/High Definition)
Watch star Ed Begley Jr. set up his own non-toxic cleaning products firm,
to compete with the late, great Paul Newman.
Red
and Jessica's guide to marriage (4.12 mins/High Definition)
If you need marriage tips, this is the place to be with Red and Jessica
offering their own unique help.
Injury
Report (4.56 mins/High Definition)
Seth Rogen and James Franco talk about the injuries they sustained during
the filming of the movie.
Stuntmaster
Ken (3.12 mins/High Definition)
Behind the scenes with Ken Jeong, the star, Stuntmaster and most famous
member of the cast.
Rehearsals 3/6/07 Police Liaison (5.46 mins/High Definition)
Watch the rehearsals of the police liaison scene with Cleo King and Seth
Rogen
Table
Read 3/4/06
Watch the cast read through the scenes 'Dale & Saul's break-up' and 'Underwater
GPS'
Comic-Con
Panel (7.33 mins/Standard Definition)
Watch the cast and crew present a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con
Red Band Trailer
Watch the slightly rude trailer that only appeared on the internet
OVERALL
The Blu-Ray treatment for 'Pineapple Express' is up to the usual Judd Apatow standards. With an exceptional commentary, some funny behind the scenes featurettes and plenty of other really good bonus material, this is another fine Blu-Ray from the Apatow stable.
BLU-RAY
The Usher Home | Hush, Hush... | The Big Story | The Usher Speaks
Stuck @ Home | Coming Soon | Links | Contact the Usher
2008