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"PINEAPPLE EXPRESS" (2008) (Seth Rogen, James Franco) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Extreme Heavy Extreme *Minor Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy Minor Mild *None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy *None None Heavy Extreme QUICK TAKE: Comedy: A process server goes on the run with his stoned drug dealer when the former witnesses a murder and correctly believes the responsible drug lord will send his goons after them. PLOT: Dale Denton (SETH ROGEN) is a thirty-something process server who delivers subpoenas and such to all sorts of people, but most of all enjoys getting high when not hanging out with his high school aged girlfriend, Angie (AMBER HEARD). Accordingly, he often visits his drug dealer, Saul Silver (JAMES FRANCO), for his latest round of marijuana. Saul's habitually stoned and thus not always quite there mentally, but he wants to be friends with Dale and thus lets him try a super strong variety of weed known as Pineapple Express. Dale agrees it's good, thanks him for that and his regular stash, and heads out for his next job. It's then that he witnesses Ted Jones (GARY COLE), who turns out to be a huge drug kingpin, and crooked cop Carol (ROSIE PEREZ) murder a man. Dale panics, ends up making too much noise fleeing the scene, and drops his joint. The latter turns out to be a bad move since Ted immediately identifies the variety as Pineapple Express, which is unique to him. Dale has figured that out as well, and thus takes Saul with him to meet the latter's pot supplier, Red (DANNY R. McBRIDE), a two-bit weasel who will do or say anything to save his own hide. When Ted's goons Budlofsky (KEVIN CORRIGAN) and Matheson (CRAIG ROBINSON) come knocking, Red immediately fingers Dale and Saul. With Ted then believing that Dale is some sort of hitman working for his Asian drug rivals, he puts the pressure on his goons to eradicate his problem. From that point on, Dale and Saul try to figure out what to do, a decision clouded by one or both of them often being high. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? It's a good bet many teenagers will want to see it, especially if they're fans of anyone in the cast, the Judd Apatow filmmaking machine, or stoner comedies. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For pervasive language, drug use, sexual references and violence. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: Considering what occurs in the film (drug use and dealing, murder and other criminal activity, strong profanity, etc.), it's doubtful many, if any, parents would consider any of the characters as good role models). CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 175 "f" words, while many other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present as are a few sexually related gestures and other humor. Violence consists of people being killed by various means (mostly gunfire), while fighting also occurs, as does a bad wreck (much but not all of which is played for some degree of comedy or outrageousness), while some slapstick style material is also present. Some of that violence has bloody/gory results (while crude humor is also present), and some of that action and other behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Various bad attitudes are present, as is all sorts of drug use and related material, while some drinking also occurs. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of camera movement in the film, including some bouncy handheld. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE We see a scene regarding a military experiment from the past on the effects of smoking pot, with one soldier high from that and asking someone "Can you torch me" (light up another joint for him). An officer drinks from a flask during this. Dale smokes pot while driving and talking to someone on the phone about the benefits of smoking pot, including that it makes sex feel better. We see him smoking and driving again. Dale goes to Saul to buy pot, there's a comment about "the dopest dope I ever smoked," and Saul then pulls out some weed and there's talk of other drugs. After selling Dale some Pineapple Express (that he says is "like God's vagina" and that smoking it is akin to killing a unicorn), Saul wants to get high with him, and displays a 3-ended joint in the shape of a cross, saying it's ten times as strong as a regular joint. They then light that up and both smoke from it, with Dale making some comment about previously smoking ten "doobies." Two miscellaneous guys then come by to purchase pot, with one doing that and the other asking Saul if he has any Percocet, but Saul gets mad and says he doesn't. Dale smokes a joint in his car but then panics when he sees Carol (a cop) pull up, but she goes into Ted's house instead. After he sees a man murdered in there, Dale panics and throws his joint out to the street. Hearing the escape commotion, Ted then comes outside, finds the joint and takes a hit, identifying it as Pineapple Express. Saul smokes a joint. Matheson smokes pot. Dale and Saul smoke pot, with Dale blowing the smoke across a flashlight beam. Saul and Dale smoke more pot, including blowing the smoke onto a caterpillar. Saul states that it's now time for him and Dale "to get super-duper high." Saul asks Red about a bong he got him, and we then see Saul with that. There's talk of Ted being engaged in a drug war with Asian drug dealers. Ted has a beer, says he needs another, and we see several empties on a table near him and Carol. A person tells another, "You're high as a f*cking kite." We see a miscellaneous man taking a hit from a bong. Saul and Dale smoke pot up in a tree. Needing money, Saul and Dale sell pot to three young students, with all of them then smoking that. Moments later, a cop busts Dale for selling that. Marijuana in a pot factory burns from an explosion/fire, but there isn't any footage of anyone inhaling that smoke. BLOOD/GORE Dale's girlfriend tells a classmate that his impression of someone nearly made her pee her pants, with that guy then saying he wishes. Dale waits outside Ted's place at night to serve him papers when he sees a man inside there place a bloody hand up against the window. Ted then shoots that man in the head (with bloody results, including on the window). From the murder he just witnessed, Dale vomits onto Saul's printer. Dale has a slightly bloody cut above his eyebrow after falling and hitting his head. Red has a busted lip from Matheson and Budlofsky apparently beating him up earlier, but he lies to Dale and Saul that it's a cold sore. Saul is then concerned because cold sores are a form of herpes, and that they previously shared a joint. He then comments on Red having eaten a lollipop from a hooker's "snatch," while Red reminds Saul that the latter once ate a box of candy from a person's "asshole." During a fight with Red, Dale's face ends up in a cat's dirty litter box, with some litter ending up in his mouth. In subtitles, we see a man state, "I gotta take a sh*t." One person tells another, "Dude, you smell like sh*t." Saul smashes a coffee pot to Matheson's face, and we see blood on and around his hands when he puts them to his face. We see blood everywhere in Red's place, but then see that he's alive, albeit wounded. There's a comment about reincarnation, where one could come back as various things, such as a dragon, worm or even an anal bead. One guy says maybe he'd be the bead, but it depends on who it belongs to. When another person says it would be him, the first man says he'd then pick coming back as a dragon. Matheson shoots Dale, downing him, followed by Saul shooting Matheson in the shoulder, bloodying that. Dale has a chunk of his ear taken out, and there's an attempt to put that back, but it obviously doesn't stay there (played for laughs, but the scene is bloody). We see a pool of blood by a guy who's been shot through the chin. Saul has a bloody nose during a fight. Dale, Saul and Red are bloody to varying degrees (including Dale's ear with part of it missing) after a big battle with druggies. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Ted, Carol (a cop) and the goons working for them obviously have bad attitudes for their criminal and murderous actions. Some viewers might not like the film making a joke about human euthanasia when Saul asks about that regarding his grandmother. Some viewers might not like it when Saul refers to the drug Pineapple Express being "like God's vagina" or when he displays a 3-ended joint in the shape of a cross. Some viewers might not like Saul joking that Dale's car committed suicide (with the battery being dead) due to the radio program Dale was previously listening to. A person uses the term "You f*cking 'tard" ("retard"). Needing money, Saul and Dale sell pot to three young students, with all of them then smoking that. Moments later, a cop busts Dale for selling that. Dale tells Angie that he sees her future in college where she'll "blow" a bunch of dudes and then become a lesbian. Dale and Saul argue, and have a falling out. Dale holds his gun on one of Ted's men, but Budlofsky then shoots that hostage (but blames that on Dale when Ted comes in). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling or suspenseful to those with low tolerance levels for such material, but much of it's played to one degree of comedy or another. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Rifles/Shotguns/Machine guns/Knife or throwing star: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. Guards carry rifles in a scene set in the past. Matheson and Budlofsky enter Saul's place with their guns drawn. Dale and Saul flee from Matheson and Budlofsky who are armed. Guards carry machine guns in a massive pot plant. Red and Dale arm themselves with all sorts of weapons (handguns, shotguns, etc.). IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck you," "You f*cking c*cks*cker," "Why don't you f*ck yourself, you weird little pr*ck?" "What the f*ck /is this thing/does that mean?" "The product of baby's f*cking," "You little f*cker," "Let's smoke this f*cking thing," "F*ck yeah," "F*ck Jeff Goldblum," "F*cking cops," "Jesus f*ck," "Who the f*ck is that/this?" "He f*cking killed him," "Let's get the f*ck out of here," "M*therf*cker," "F*ck that," "So f*cking scary," "Oh f*ck," "F*ck me" (nonsexual), "We're f*cking gravy," "F*cking sick," "You guys are basically f*cked," "So f*cked up," "You're high as a f*cking kite," "I'm not f*cking with you," "I will take you outside and f*ck you in the street," "F*ck off, loser," "You are a f*cking idiot," "You're f*cking dead," "You f*cking 'tard," "We're gonna f*cking kill them," "All the f*cking time," "F*cking super-size it, bitch," "F*ck-up," "F*cked you up," "F*ck all this," "I'm gonna kill the f*ck out of you," "Shut the f*ck up," "Where are these f*ckers?" "Ya'll f*ck on your own time," "Sexy m*therf*cker," "F*ck the police," "You dumb f*ck," "I f*cking love you dawg," "Are you f*cking kidding me?" "Sh*tty," "Oh sh*t," "Crazy sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "No sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "I gotta take a sh*t" (in subtitles), "Dude, you smell like sh*t," "Sack of sh*t," "Short as sh*t," "I didn't do sh*t," "You little dip-sh*t," "Where are the boobies?" "Suck today's d*ck," "It's like God's vagina," "You sucked her t*tties?" "It's like my thumb is my c*ck," "Holy c*ck," "As red as the devil's d*ck," "Prepare to suck the c*ck of Karma" (in subtitles), "Suck my balls," "Is that a boner?" "Can you torch me?" "Holy bejesus," "This is the bee's knees," "Now I look like an asshole," "Almost made me pee my pants," "Kick your ass," "Jerk-offs," "The dopest dope I ever smoked," "A hell of a job," "Sucks," "Ass-tard," "It bums me out," "Lingerer," "It's like killing a unicorn," "Pretty rad," "You idiot," "What's up, players?" "Dumb ass," "Time to get super-duper high," "I'm chill as a cucumber," "Pretty bad ass," "Bros before hos," "What the hell are you doing?" "This is so exciting," "Bitch," "You idiot," "Shut up," "Monkey's out of the bottle," "Screw you," "Pain in the ass," "I look like the Hamburglar," "You bastard," "You're a mean jerk," "BFF" (Best Friends Forever), "Mr. Folger" and "Sit your sexy little ass down." Some of the action and stunts might be enticing for some kids to imitate. In the past, a soldier, high on pot, mocks an officer, saying, "Your d*ck, my mouth" and then makes an exaggerated oral sex gesture. In several scenes, Dale smokes pot while driving Dale dons various outfits/costumes while serving people their papers. Dale sings and gargles. Dale gives "the finger" to another person. While hitchhiking, Saul playfully has his thumb down his pants and sticking out of his open zipper, jokingly stating, "It's like my thumb is my c*ck." We see miscellaneous graffiti. JUMP SCENES Saul is suddenly at Dale's car, startling him. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A mild amount of suspenseful (some done playfully) and action-oriented music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Some songs had lyrics that we couldn't fully hear and/or understand (or were playing under scenes containing objectionable material that needed to be noted), thus presenting the possibility of them potentially containing something objectionable. This does not include anything that play under the end credits. PROFANITY At least 175 "f" words (17 used with "mother," 6 used sexually as is the phrase "screwing"), 76 "s" words, 12 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck," "c*ck," "c*cks*cker," "pr*ck," 1 for female genitals ("snatch"), 2 for breasts ("t*tties" and "boobies"), 28 asses (17 used with "hole"), 6 hells, 3 damns, 1 S.O.B., 11 uses of "Oh my God," 4 of "Jesus," 2 of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "Jesus Christ" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY A man in a wheelchair appears to be in just a diaper. In the past, a soldier, high on pot, complains that the problem with the army is that it's all "dudes" and wonders, "Where are the boobies?" Later, that same soldier mocks an officer, saying, "Your d*ck, my mouth" and then makes an exaggerated oral sex gesture. Dale smokes pot while driving and talking to someone on the phone about the benefits of smoking pot, including that it makes sex feel better. Dale passionately kisses his high school girlfriend, but her male classmate then walks up and says she left her shorts in his car. There's then talk of watching her "ass" for Dale. The "f" word is used sexually as Saul talks about if two drugs got together and had sex, and then their offspring did the same, with a comment about that being "the product of baby f*cking." About the Pineapple Express, Saul then says, "It's like God's vagina." Dale comments about previously smoking ten "doobies" and then makes a gesture with his hands and face as if holding breasts and then coming into contact with them. Saul asks, "You sucked her t*tties?" and Dale says no. Saul states that in the past Red got some girl he just met minutes earlier to give him (Saul) a "hand job." Saul then asks what if he gave Dale one, and then amends that to getting someone to give him one (after Dale says he wouldn't want one from Saul). While hitchhiking, Saul playfully has his thumb down his pants and sticking out of his open zipper, jokingly stating, "It's like my thumb is my c*ck." Red has a busted lip from Matheson and Budlofsky apparently beating him up earlier, but he lies to Dale and Saul that it's a cold sore. Saul is then concerned because cold sores are a form of herpes, and that they previously shared a joint. He then comments on Red having eaten a lollipop from a hooker's "snatch," while Red reminds Saul that the latter once ate a box of candy from a person's "asshole." About tracking down Dale, Carol states that they'll know everything about him, including "who he's screwing." Angie shows some cleavage. Angie's father uses the following phrase "I will take you outside and f*ck you in the street" in a nonsexual fashion, but an intimidated Dale replies "Don't f*ck us anywhere." Dale asks Saul about his sack, but Saul thinks he's referring to his previously hit scrotum and states it hurts, adding that he thinks he popped one (testicle). A female cop tells Dale that his eyes are as "red as the devil's d*ck." Dale tells Angie that he sees her future in college where she'll "blow" a bunch of dudes and then become a lesbian. Angie states she lost her virginity when she was 14, taking Dale by surprise. She then asks how many girls he slept with, and he replies two and a half. She wonders how one could be a half, and he states that he dipped a "ball" in. About a small handgun, Red states he formerly used that when he was a prostitute. Red decides he can't accompany Saul and Dale, saying he wants to have sex with his wife: "I want to f*ck her." Trying to get out of their bindings, Dale tells Saul to rub his wrists against his belt buckle, thus giving the illusion that they're engaged in gay sex, followed by a similar kneel stance (but only to the movie viewer as nobody else sees them that way). That said, Matheson then walks in, says he could hear everything they were saying, and then tells them, "Ya'll f*ck on your own time." As a gun battle breaks out, one person states (in subtitles), "Prepare to suck the c*ck of karma." Red feels camaraderie with Dale and Saul, saying, "I want to be inside you." We see Dale in his boxers when Saul rescues him. About the three of them now being friends, Red jokingly asks Dale and Saul, "Is that a boner?" SMOKING None (not counting all of the pot smoking listed under "Alcohol/Drugs"). TENSE FAMILY SCENES None. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Drugs and drug use. Red's reincarnation beliefs of people being like hermit crabs that move from one living vessel to another. Process servers. VIOLENCE Much but not all of the following is played for some degree of laughs or outrageousness. After an officer gives the order to dispose of a private being used in an experiment, we hear a gunshot (from off camera). Dale waits outside Ted's place at night to serve him papers when he sees a man inside there place a bloody hand up against the window. Ted then shoots that man in the head (with bloody results, including on the window), while we see the motion of Carol firing several shots down into the man (we don't see the impact of those). Dale then panics and rams his car into other parked cars as he hurriedly tries to escape. Thinking the cops might be able to trace his cell phone location, Dale smashes his to a rock. High and panicking that Ted or his goons are after them in the woods, Dale and Saul take off running, with Dale tripping over a log and hitting his head hard on a large rock (and then rolling down a hill), while Saul runs directly into a tree. Red throws a glass ashtray that hits Dale on the head, followed by repeatedly hitting Saul, including with a dust-buster, with Saul then holding his clothed crotch. Dale then jumps on Red's back, with furniture breaking, etc. as the fight continues. Red escapes into the bathroom, but Dale and Saul break down the door that hits Red, causing his head to smash against the toilet. While Dale stands on the door on top of Red, Saul jumps up and down on Red's cell phone in the bathtub. Red escapes again and the fighting continues, with more punching and hitting and bashing into things. While Red tries to pull Dale off a counter, Saul hits Red over the head with a bong, followed by Dale taking Red and smashing his head hard to the wall, leaving a large hole there. On orders from Ted, Matheson shoots Red in the gut, followed by Budlofsky shooting and seemingly killing Red, but we later learn that's not the case (he's wounded, but still alive). After Dale informs Angie and her family of what's occurred, Saul suddenly comes in. Thinking he's one of the bad guys, Angie stabs a fork into his back. Angie's father fires his rifle at Dale and Saul several times. While driving with an arrested and cuffed Dale in the backseat, a police officer accidentally strikes Saul with her car. When she gets out, Saul hops in and takes off, hitting Carol's police car, while the first cop shoots at Saul. Carol then gives chase, with Saul kicking and getting his foot stuck through the windshield (trying to kick it out so that he can see, since it's covered in some sort of sticky beverage). After more chasing, Saul lets Carol pull up beside them and she shoots out the passenger's window and another shot hits a bystander (we don't know their fate). The chase then continues, ending with Carol hitting a car at high speed, flipping, and crashing hard in a bad car wreck. After Saul stops, Dale falls from the backseat and hits the road hard (while cuffed). Saul smashes a coffee pot to Matheson's face, and we see blood on and around his hands when he puts them to his face. Budlofsky then punches Saul, and Matheson punches Saul in the crotch. Dale holds his gun on one of Ted's men, but Budlofsky then shoots that hostage (and blames that on Dale when Ted comes in). Matheson shoots Dale, downing him, followed by Saul shooting Matheson in the shoulder, bloodying that. A big gun battle takes place above and inside a marijuana factory between Ted's men and their Asian rivals. A knife or throwing star is also used, while many people are shot, including by Dale and Saul. Dale has a chunk of his ear taken out, and there's an attempt to put that back, but it obviously doesn't stay there (played for laughs, but the scene is bloody). Ted shoots at Dale, followed by a guy jumping down onto the latter's back. There's some struggling, and Dale ends up shooting that guy up through the chin. Dale and Ted fight, with Dale jumping on him, Ted hitting Dale with a large fluorescent tube and a fire extinguisher to the gut, followed by more struggling and Ted biting Dale on his ear. A guy shoots Carol in the arm, but she then riddles him with machine gun fire. Saul then charges her, but she flips him, and the two fight (punches, kicks, etc.) at the same time that Ted and Dale fight. Saul punches Carol and then bashes wood over her head. Matheson shoots Budlofsky, but Red then drives into the former when he's sticking half-way up out of a hole in the floor, killing him. He then gets out and shoots Matheson in the foot. Carol shoots Red with a machine gun, seemingly killing him, but he's then seen alive. After more fighting, including Dale getting Ted around the neck with his feet while hanging above him, a huge explosion blows Ted back to a wall. A car is then blown upward by an explosion and lands down onto Carol. A massive explosion destroys a marijuana factory building. Reviewed July 21, 2008 / Posted August 6, 2008

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