If Batman and the Joker are this summer's masked and flawed freaks, then Saul Silver and Dale Denton are its bonafide geeks.
And while producer Judd Apatow's 2008 offerings – Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers and now Pineapple Express – might not exactly be saving Hollywood, the movies are certainly providing a lighthearted, R-rated release from the summer of the superhero.
In Pineapple Express, which opens Wednesday, Freaks and Geeks alums James Franco and Seth Rogen (pictured) play two hapless dimwits who find themselves with one-way tickets to gangland after partaking of the extremely rare strain of pot that gives the film its name. It's a comical scene involving an expertly engineered joint that could go on for longer than it does.
For a stoner comedy, the smoke-out scenes – save one priceless schoolyard incident – feel rushed and not as celebratory as is customary. But Franco's portrayal of the ultimate fried-crispy sidekick is likely to go down in pot aficionado history.
As in most of Apatow's films, the plot of Pineapple Express serves only as a framework around which to structure witty one-liners and introduce oddball characters. The best of both in Express arrive when Saul and Dale seek refuge with a friend, Red (played by Danny McBride of The Foot Fist Way, pictured center above*)*. Red's endless supply of hilarious non sequiturs, and a slapstick-heavy three-way brawl, give the film a solid second wind.
Express may seem like a genre departure for director David Gordon Green, whose past credits includes art-house films George Washington and All the Real Girls, but Green's keen eye for lush cinematography and savvy throwback to 1980s pop culture – he tosses in nods to Beverly Hills Cop, 227, Fletch and Krull, to name a few – feel right at home.
With its adult themes and violence, Express could easily be the post-collegiate sequel to last summer's hit Superbad, which was also penned by Rogen and his writing buddy Evan Goldberg, or even a reboot of short-lived cult fave Freaks and Geeks, which put Rogen and Franco on-screen together nearly a decade ago.
And while it doesn't possess quite the uproarious pull of the rest of Apatow's canon, it's full of enough geek references and genuinely funny moments to show us that every nerd has their day.
Wired: Greasy-haired slacker Saul shines; down 'n' dirty summer romp (bring extra munchies).
Tired: Apatow autopilot leaves this film feeling like a carbon copy; bromance-heavy ending a little sappy, Huey Lewis-led soundtrack.
Rating: 
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Photos courtesy Sony Pictures
See also:
- SXSW: Super High Me Smokes First Day of Screenings
- Cho Escapes From Guantanamo Bay to Star Trek
- Review: Charming Wall-E Sweeps Up Trash, Hearts
- Review: X-Files Flick Falls Short of Show's Glory Days
- Review: Joker Plays the Wild Card in Dazzling Dark Knight
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