Pineapple Express

The Judd Apatow factory refreshes the stoner comedy in this hilarious and unexpectedly visceral hybrid road movie/action thriller. Seth Rogen is a wisecracking process server, and James Franco is his friendly neighborhood dope dealer, a sweet, stupid, emotionally ebullient guy with the innocence of a child (albeit one who is baked to the gills), amiable stoners who witness a cop killing and flee a murderous drug lord (Gary Cole, perfect as always) and his hired assassins. The screenplay by Rogen and Evan Goldberg (from a story co-written with producer Apatow) doesn't really take us anywhere we haven't been before, but it offers a sly take on stoner culture and an accidental buddy film that works, thanks to the terrific rapport between Rogen and Franco, and director David Gordon Green's affection for his characters. Danny McBride turns a third-wheel role into a foggy moral journey, and Rosie Perez co-stars.

The DVD commentary is more like a party than a production track; you get a lot of background information, but only the funny stuff. Rogen dominates (he's the loudest and the funniest guy in the room), but practically everyone involved in the shoot drops in at one point or another. Also features "The Making of Pineapple Express" and extended and alternate scenes. The "2-Disc Unrated Special Edition" and the Blu-ray edition feature an extended version (about six minutes longer, mostly with comic exposition), bonus deleted scenes and scenes from what appears to be an alternate universe version of the film (see "Item 9" and "Saul's Apartment"), more featurettes, plenty of behind-the-scenes footage (including the first table read) and a digital copy of the film. These are fun, substantial supplements in the spirit of the film experience.