High times and misdemeanors in 'Pineapple Express'
"Pineapple Express" The Judd Apatow comedy revue rolls on with "Pineapple Express," a stoner-action flick produced by Apatow and written by two of his acolytes, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (the writers of "Superbad"). The movie ranks somewhere in the middle of the Apatow pack - not nearly as good as "Knocked Up" but much, much better than "Walk Hard."
Rogen and James Franco play Dale and Saul, a couple of genial potheads who stumble into a war between rival drug kingpins when Dale witnesses a murder. With gangsters on their trail, the two try to stay alive while smoking lots of pot and engaging in the profane male bonding that is now an Apatow-movie trademark. Rogen and Franco have nice chemistry - they worked together previously on the cult TV show "Freaks and Geeks" - and the script provides plenty of laughs, despite a few lame gay jokes. The movie drags in its final act, especially in the much-too-long (and surprisingly violent) climactic shootout between the rival gangs. Still, "Pineapple Express" provides a nice hit of Cheech-and-Chong-style comedy, so if that's what you're jonesing for, light this one up.
The single-disc DVD, which is the one I screened, comes with a commentary from the filmmakers and cast, a series of extended scenes and a making-of featurette. A two-disc unrated edition is also available. (R; Sony, $28.96)
"Ghost Town" "Ghost Town" is the perfect capper for the holiday season, a sweet and moving comedy about a misanthropic loner whose life is changed when he decides to perform simple acts of kindness. Ricky Gervais plays Bert Pincus, a Manhattan dentist who loves his job but hates people. In the middle of routine surgery, Pincus officially dies for seven minutes before being revived. He discovers two things upon leaving the hospital: 1) He can now see and talk to the dead, and 2) Ghosts are every bit as annoying as living people. Eager to get rid of them, Pincus agrees to help one ghost stop his widow from marrying a sleazy lawyer. This quest will end up teaching the dentist about what it means to really live.
Writer-director David Koepp pulls off a neat trick in "Ghost Town": He manages to tug at our hearts without turning the film into another sticky example of Hollywood feel-goodism. The script is tartly funny and expertly brought to life by Gervais and co-stars Greg Kinnear (who plays Frank, the main ghost) and the underrated Tea Leoni (Frank's widow, Gwen). This modest gem is worth seeking out. The DVD includes a Koepp/Gervais commentary and several making-of featurettes. (PG-13; Paramount, $29.99)
Other new releases "Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.0" (Universal); "The Tudors: Season 2" (Paramount); "Righteous Kill" (Anchor Bay); "Bangkok Dangerous" (Lionsgate); "Frisky Dingo: Season 2" (Warner Home Video)