MORAL OF THE MOVIE

Drug users have a reputation of being the bad guys and low-lifes, but this film humorously showcases how those who push drugs at the expense of others are the real villains. There’s also a deep commentary on how the War on Drugs targets the wrong people (Check comments for more details).

WHO I THINK WOULD MOST ENJOY THIS MOVIE

This movie is along the same vein of action comedies like 21 Jump Street (2012). If you like these sorts of over-the-top action comedies where the characters are in over their heads, then you’ll have a great time with this one, especially if you are also a fan of stoner humor.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/COMMENTARY

Funnily enough, I have a fond memory of Pineapple Express because I remember seeing its billboards all over Times Square when I went to New York City for the first time in the summer of ’08. I didn’t see it until a few years later because watching Pineapple Express would’ve been a bit too much to handle for an eight year old me. Instead, I saw it as an adolescent teenager and thought of it as the newest addition to my favorite genre: action-comedies. Now, I still see it as a funny action movie about weed but I also see the film as so much more. At the time of its making/release, public masses were questioning the War on Drugs, especially concerning the criminalization of marijuana consumption. Medical cannabis was legalized in over a dozen states by that time, which brought to question the merit of its criminalization. This movie is, more than anything, a weed movie that finds itself in the blend of action and comedy, so it makes sense that there is a political message at its heart about marijuana. Additionally, Seth Rogen is a very well-known pothead, so you already have one of the film’s writers and star heavily in favor of its decriminalization and legalization. Rogen’s character even makes a point about it while talking to radio hosts in the first moments of the film, which establishes the film’s message early on. Now, I know what you might be thinking, “Wow, you’re really reaching to find a moral for what is simply an action-comedy about weed.” To that, I say “You’re right, I am reaching a bit, but not that much. Also, it proves my point that all movies, even the movies that you’d least expect, have morals to be discussed.” I find that the entire movie’s storyline is an allegory of how the US government has targeted the wrong people in this whole War on Drugs ordeal. Most of the arrests (victims) of this “war” have been recreational users or addicts, so the entire initiative is essentially only tackling the issues superficially rather than at its source (drug kingpins and mental health). In the movie, the weed user (Seth Rogen) and the weed dealer (James Franco) represent these victims as they are constantly being targeted by the real villains of the story (drug lords and corrupt officers) that represent the War on Drugs. That’s not to say that the movie is saying that the victims are all good and saintly because the protagonists are all clearly flawed in the movie (Rogen’s character is a full-grown adult with a girlfriend in high school which is problematic to say the least), but they’re at least human and should be treated as such. In the end, this movie that seems like just another funny/dumb action movie about weed has pretty powerful commentary about how to view the War on Drugs and its victims. Having said that, this movie is an absolute blast to watch if you haven’t seen it already and even if you have too. I’ve personally seen it a handful of times and it never ceases to make me laugh or enjoy myself for the entirety of its runtime. Pineapple Express was the world’s introduction to James Franco’s comedic abilities which shine alongside his obvious acting abilities. The entire cast was great and outright hilarious (especially Craig Robinson and Danny McBride). The writing is sharp and funny with a direction from David Gordon Green (also directed the Halloween 2018 sequel) that perfectly blended the action-comedy genres for a great story supplemented by a bunch of funny moments. Overall, Pineapple Express is a great movie to watch over and over again for its genuinely funny moments as well as for an underlying critique of the War on Drugs.