A loud, loose stoner-action comedy that works best as a chemistry showcase for its leads and a string of escalating absurd set pieces. It’s not especially sharp in its plotting, but the movie’s blend of buddy-movie warmth, druggy paranoia, and hard-R violence gives it a durable cult appeal.
39% ★★☆☆☆ (737,869)
Pineapple Express
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Action · Comedy · R
2008 · 1h 52m · ★ 39% (737.9K)
Put this in your pipe and smoke it.
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole
Overview
A stoner and his dealer are forced to go on the run from the police after the pothead witnesses a cop commit a murder.
Director
David Gordon Green
Production
Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Apatow Productions, Point Grey Pictures
Cast
Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Danny McBride, Rosie Perez, Kevin Corrigan, Craig Robinson, Amber Heard, Ed Begley Jr., Nora Dunn, Bobby Lee, James Remar, Joe Lo Truglio, Art Napiontek, Cleo King, Bill Hader, Jonathan Spencer, Dana Lee, Ken Jeong, David C. Cook
Curator Review
Verdict
A loud, loose stoner-action comedy that works best as a chemistry showcase for its leads and a string of escalating absurd set pieces. It’s not especially sharp in its plotting, but the movie’s blend of buddy-movie warmth, druggy paranoia, and hard-R violence gives it a durable cult appeal.
Best for
fans of raunchy buddy comedies
viewers who like action-comedy hybrids
people in the mood for quotable, chaotic hangout energy
audiences who enjoy chemistry-driven star vehicles
Skip if
you want tightly plotted crime storytelling
you dislike weed humor or constant profanity
you prefer action movies with serious stakes
you’re looking for subtle character work or realism
Overview
Pineapple Express is a very specific kind of studio comedy: messy, overlong, and often ridiculous, but powered by enough comic momentum to keep the whole thing airborne. The premise is pure escalation, turning a dumb mistake into a full-on criminal odyssey, and the movie leans into that chaos with confidence.
Worth noting
What makes it stick is the central pairing. The film thrives on the contrast between anxious deadpan and manic enthusiasm, and it knows how to turn small reactions into big laughs. The supporting cast adds a lot of texture too, especially when the movie briefly pivots from hangout comedy into violent farce.
Bottom line
It’s not the most disciplined comedy of its era, and some stretches feel indulgent, but that looseness is also part of the appeal. If you’re receptive to stoner humor, bromance energy, and action scenes that keep getting stupider in the best way, it’s an easy yes.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Karsten (3★) · 4194 likes
This movie is 9 hours long
amaya (3★) · 1202 likes
once you go to college you'll start listening to godspeed you! black emperor and become a lesbian