Pineapple Express

"Pineapple Express" could easily be titled the "Apatow Express" for the way it expands on Judd Apatow’s influence as a modern-day Mel Brooks. The title refers to a hybrid kind of marijuana so rare that to smoke it is akin to killing a unicorn. James Franco busts out some impressive comic chops as Saul, a good-natured pot dealer who befriends his process server client Dale (played by the ever reliable Seth Rogen) to whom he sells the precious herb. The two young men bond after Dale witnesses a murder committed by pot kingpin Ted Jones with the help of a woman cop (played by Rosie Perez). Desperate to escape the wrath of Ted’s bloodthirsty henchmen, Dale and Saul employ the unreliable help of a pot middleman named Red (played by Danny McBride). Over the top in its take-no-prisoners comic approach, "Pineapple Express" draws on stylistic and plot elements from ‘70s martial arts movies, shock horror films, and Tarantino set pieces to generate a new type of irreverent comic cinema in touch with the candid loyalty of a new generation. It’s also an open plea for the legalization of marijuana.

(Sony Pictures) Rated R, 112 mins. (A-) (Four Stars)