New Seth Rogen Film: Pineapple Express

Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow Breathe New Life into Comedy Genre

Aug 13, 2008

Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow first teamed up and turned heads on TV with Freaks and Geeks. Now, they are the most reliable source for good comedy in film.

After NBC failed to make the brilliant Freaks and Geeks commercially viable and FOX could not sell Undeclared to the mainstream, Judd Apatow decided to try his hand in cinema. He had little to no success there as a writer in the past with Heavy Weights (1995) and Celtic Pride (1996), but the critical acclaim of his commercially unsuccessful television shows merited him another opportunity.

In 2005, Apatow co-wrote (with Steve Carell) and directed 40 Year Old Virgin, which received critical acclaim as well as box office success. Apatow called on Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared cohort Seth Rogen to costar in 40 Year Old Virgin.

40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up (2007)and Superbad (2007) carved a niche in Hollywood despite being criticized by some critics for being too sophomoric. Apatow and Rogen have repeatedly created comedies that are clever but not pretentious and raunchy but not over-the-top. They balance bathroom humor, sharp pop culture references and lifestyle commentary to create funny films that relate to a wide demographic.

Pineapple Express (2008), written by Rogen, Apatow and Evan Goldberg, maintains the brilliant balance on which previous Apatow/Rogen efforts thrived. Rogen and Freaks and Geeks costar James Franco effortlessly capitalize on the well-written dialogue, blending softly muttered, sarcastic one-liners and energetic, manic behavior.

Rogen explained to Jon Stewart on The Daily Show that his idea for Pineapple Express was to combine a stoner movie with the type of movie that stoners enjoy most—action flicks.

Pineapple Express balances the comedy of a stoner movie with the fights, car chases and explosions of an action film without compromising its overall fluidity. As the film gradually picks up and turns into more of an action flick, the main characters continue to get laughs with their stoner mentality. Meanwhile, veterans Gary Cole and Rosie Perez play it straight, creating a humorous satire of cliché 80s action movie characters.

Apatow and Rogen Comedies Take Over Hollywood

The Wes Anderson/Owen Wilson troupe started strong with Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001); but their following efforts have fallen flat with redundant themes and lackluster dialogue.

Apatow and Rogen have usurped Anderson and Wilson by putting together a string of four above-average comedies. And, although the style of humor remains the same, each one feels fresh. Apatow and Rogen avoided redundancy by moving from romantic comedies (40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up) to a teen movie (Superbad) to a stoner/action flick (Pineapple Express).

Apatow has teamed with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly for Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) and Step Brothers (2008); but his best and smartest films have been the product of working with Seth Rogen.

Next up for Apatow the writer/director is Funny People, starring Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler, due out July 31, 2009. Rogen the actor will star in Kevin Smith’s new movie, Zack and Miri Make a Porno (scheduled for an October 31, 2008 release) and writer/director Jody Hill’s Observe and Report (scheduled to come out on April 10, 2009). Rogen’s next project as a writer is The Green Hornet, which he wrote with Pineapple Express co-writer Evan Goldberg. Rogen will also star in this film that is only in the pre-production stage and will not be out until 2010.

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