Highs and lows in 'Pineapple;' 'Tropic' laughs at itself

(Seth Rogan and James Fracno in "Pineapple Express." Sony Pictures)

To make up for my absence from this blog, my gift to you is a two-for-one review. Over the weekend, I saw “Pineapple Express” and “Tropic Thunder.”


“Pineapple Express” – Thursday night, Cinemark, 4721 South Timberline Rd. in Fort Collins.

I’m against the legalization of marijuana. Not because the use of bud is particularly harmful to people or because potheads grossly over consume their share of Cheetos and Slurpees. No. It’s because if pot were legal, it would take the fun away from watching goofball antics of potheads in movies.

I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of pot . . . movies. The only exception I can think of is the Dave Chappelle joint “Half Bake.” I just don’t get what’s so funny about characters acting like buffoons and saying completely illogical and dismissible lines. It’s like pot smoking gives the filmmakers and actors an excuse for cheap non-sequitur dialogue and storylines not quite all the way thought out. But for “Pineapple,” it was those things that made me laugh my hash off.

The appeal of “Pineapple” is watching the duo of Seth Rogan who plays Dale Denton, a pot smoking, process server, high-school-girl-dating, almost has-been and Spiderman’s James Franco who plays Saul Silver, Denton’s dealer. Personally, I have never met a dealer but if I did I hope and expect for him or her (but probably him) to resemble Saul.

Rogan and Silver were a perfect screw-up duo. The best scenes were of the two, smoking and trying to figure out how to get out of this mess they were in, which leads me to the movie’s hangover.

The plot of this movie was pretty inexcusable, even for a pot movie, because it wasn’t far-fetched enough to be considered a joke and it took up way too much time. Basically, on his way to serve some court papers, Denton witnesses a murder. It turns out the killer, Ted Jones, played by Gary Cole, everyone’s favorite boss from “Office Space,” is also Saul’s supplier. Jones tracks down Denton and Saul through the rare pot Denton was smoking when he witnessed the murder. The name of that pot? Yep, Pineapple Express. The movie also has an oddball appearance by Rosie Perez, who plays Jones’ second.

But while the plot is under baked, the comedic bits between Rogan and Silver were the highs. I have to give a shout out to the fight scene between Roger and Silver vs. Danny R. McBride, who plays Red, Silver’s middleman. The fight between the three was easily the funniest brawl since “Borat.” It was a scene were I was literally crying and my checks hurt from laughing so hard.

But by the final 20 minutes, the flopped plot takes over and I’m just waiting for the credits. Rogan, who wrote the script, attempted to make a pot-slash-action movie, but he should have left the action to the big boys. Still, the jokes in between make the blunt journey worth it. (I think I got enough pot references in).

Grade: C+

(Ben Stiller playing an actor who can't act (not really a stretch) and Robert Downey Jr. playing a black guy in "Tropic Thunder." Dreamwork Pictures.

“Tropic Thunder” – Friday night, Metrolux 12 Theatre, 6085 Sky Pond Dr., in Loveland

Ben Stiller is hit or miss with me.

Hated “Meet the Parents,” loved “Dodgeball.” And well I loved “Something About Mary,” and liked “Zoolander,” or the parts I have seen, I skipped on it most of his fair, like “Along Came Polly,” and “Night at the Museum.”

Though I can’t put “Tropic Thunder” in the love category, I can firmly place in the “hey, that was pretty good” category.

While “Tropic,” which is about film within a film, wasn’t nearly as funny as “Pineapple Express,” it was a better movie. Though I didn’t really laugh out loud, the move definitely had its chuckle moments. Like everyone else, I was entertained by Tom Cruise’s role as a beefy, balding movie executive. But I thought the real surprise was Matthew McConaughey’s performance as the agent for Ben Stiller’s character. McConaughey spends the whole movie making sure his client gets his contract-guaranteed TiVo (a need I can relate to). I didn’t think Jack Black earned his screen time but his name alone will warrant some jokes. Also worthy of praise, was Robert Downey Jr., who played an Australian actor playing a black man (in black face, no less). And sue me, I think curse words are hilarious. My funny bone is still 15 years old.

The best line of the movie: Downey: “I know who I am! I'm the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude!”

The line seemed more appropriate for Downey himself rather than his character. And it’s that take the movie runs with that makes it fun to watch. The real filmmakers, Stiller directs a script he co-wrote, and the filmmakers in the movie are in on the joke and the actors on screen crack a lot of jokes while winking at the audience. Case in point – the four “trailers” that are shown before the movie, highlighting the four main characters. The movie and its characters know they are making fun of themselves and they do a good job of it.

Regarding the “R-word,” controversy – when Stiller and Downey’s characters talk about actors taking the roles of retarded characters to win Oscars, it’s a cheap shot at the actors not people with disabilities. If you don’t have a thick skin, go see a Disney movie.

Even without the LOL moments, I liked “Tropic” and thought the movie never felt stale or bland.

On a personal note, I was glad to see Jay Baruchel, who is part of Judd Apatow’s comic stable, finally get some screen time. I was a huge fan of the short-lived “Undeclared,” and I really think Baruchel can hold his own against the likes of Seth Rogan.

Grade B