Director: David Gordon Green
Year Released: 2008
Rating: 2.0
This is Cheech and Chong meets Tarantino; pot humor meets pop culture and graphic violence. After process server/stoner/ephebophile Seth Rogan spots a murder committed by a corrupt cop (Rosie Perez) and a marijuana manufacturer (the ever-reliable Gary Cole), he tries to flee with stoner bud/"227" fan/grandma's boy James Franco, but each being a few neurons shy a full brain, they find it difficult to do much aside from act like bumbling idiots. Although I find Pot Culture to be ridiculous and overbearing (and movies that idolize Drug Culture to be reminiscent of those from the late 60's/early 70's), the fact that the two intrepid heroes come to the conclusion part of the way through that weed is not that great for you - and pointedly sending a factory full of the herb up in flames - is really something of a cop-out: at least (the otherwise inferior) Harold and Kumar stuck with their nasty little habit to the bitter end. Dialogue is hit-and-miss (and mostly infantile), Rogan's relationship with cutie Amber Heard fizzles when he hears she wants to get married (once again in Apatow Land the average dude gets with a hot blonde) and this amounts to a half-serious celebration of Bros Bein' Bros (a trend that can also be found more recent forays in humorous male-oriented books, coined "fratire" by people who get paid to sit around and apply labels to things). Franco's the real star here (getting almost all of the best material), convincingly playing that guy from high school we (most likely) all remember (and all remember laughing at behind his back) … and yet remaining curiously sympathetic: at least he's selling for a good cause (to support his bubbie and to design septic tanks … you know, for the kids).
