After viewing "Pineapple Express," I'm not really sure who should be responsible for reviewing movies from the stoner genre or for whom such films are intended. Are they solely for those who regularly board the Banana Boat, so to speak, or are they for all of us, marijuana- users or not?As someone who doesn't use pot (I'm hungry enough as it is, thanks), I found "Pineapple Express" to be, overall, very funny and well-shot. However, there were points in the film that were obviously intended to be funny, but that I felt fell flat. Was this because I didn't understand the stoner side to the film, or simply because the scene wasn't funny?

If the lack of humor can be attributed to the latter, then "Pineapple Express" can simply be described as somewhat uneven in hilarity. However, though it has its lifeless moments, "Pineapple Express" has just as many scenes which might be described as hysterical. The interactions between drug- dealer Saul (an incredibly endearing, consistently baked James Franco) and process server Dale Denton (an amusingly indignant Seth Rogen) make for some great scenes, particularly when Saul goes off on a pot-induced tangent composed of lines like "the monkey's out of the bottle." (Dale: "That's not even an expression.") The standout actor in "Pineapple Express," though, was Danny R. McBride, who played the effeminate Red to perfection and provided some of the film's best scenes.

The everyman likeability of the main characters was definitely "Pineapple Express'" best attribute; the characters don't pick up a gun and instinctively know how to look cool while using it. Instead, they do what any regular Joe would do-they practice posing with said firearms to ensure looking awesome during gunfights.

The only portion of the film that truly dragged down "Pineapple Express" was the excessive violence of the film's closing scenes. The winning innocence that the characters spent the film accruing is demolished by an explosive body-count and unappealing splatter. However, the previous hour and 30 minutes of the movie certainly make up for those bloody 15. Viewing "Pineapple Express" also requires an above-average suspension of disbelief (unless you're high, which isn't unlikely)-certain characters refuse to die, survive on account of very conveniently located barriers and occasionally pass out for no reason. Also, although Amber Heard plays the role of Denton's high school girlfriend moderately well, her part was almost entirely unnecessary and her performance, ultimately, didn't merit the inclusion of her character. By the film's end, I had entirely forgotten about Angie and am pretty sure she was only included so that Rogen's character could showcase his immaturity in a greater number of scenes.

Regardless, despite its rough edges, "Pineapple Express" is definitely a film worth seeing, even if the subject matter isn't particularly relevant to your interests.