The defining moment of Pineapple Express came not at any plot-twist or significant juncture in the storyline, but rather as James Franco and Seth Rogen became entangled in a high-speed chase in a stolen police car, Franco’s foot protruding through the slurpee-splattered windshield. As I watched the admittedly hilarious chase, I wondered whether this was merely a pot-perpetuated adventure that the characters would just forget the next day.

Pineapple Express merges action with stoner film, which makes for a rather ridiculous cinematic experience. The movie follows Dale Denton (Rogen), an average thirty-something who makes a living serving subpoenas in comical costumes and spends his money on his teenage girlfriend and large quantities of marijuana.

When Dale makes a stop at his dealer Saul Silver’s (Franco) apartment, they get straight to business. Saul introduces Dale to the most exclusive, potent weed in the city: a strain known as “pineapple express.” It’s so rare that it’s possessed only by Saul and Red, the man who sold it to him.

That evening, as Dale puffs away in front of his subpoena target’s home, he witnesses a murder. Dale quickly abandons his joint and drives away, but the killers identify Dale’s weed as pineapple express. Dale rushes to Saul’s house, where the two realize that due to the rarity of the pot, it could be traced directly back to them. The ludicrous chase begins, as Saul and Dale try to elude the bad guys, all the while fueling their adventure with more weed.

All in all, the movie has a lighthearted tone that pervades even the action-heavy scenes. You can’t help but laugh, but you also have to wonder about the significance of the whole adventure. The exploits of Saul and Dale reach some radical extremes (like fighting marijuana kingpins), but the fact that the whole thing is furthered by hit after hit makes it all seem so trivial.

The film also merges stoner movie and action movie in a rather awkward way. The first half is stoner-heavy and the second half is action-heavy. For instance, a fight that takes place in the first half of the movie involves ashtray discus, bong smashing, and head bashing with a dust buster — hallmarks of comedy. Alternatively, the far-fetched climactic battle drags on and on, ditching the humor for pure action. Neither of the scenes provide an adequate balance of comedy and action, so it’s as if they tacked an action movie’s ending onto the first half of a stoner movie. Hardly a clever merger.

The script also has major shortcomings. The plot has significant holes and loose ends, leaving a film with potential floundering in mediocrity.

All criticism aside, Pineapple Express is an enjoyable movie with some extremely funny scenes. Although humorous moments are interspersed throughout the movie, there aren’t any spectacularly funny or quotable lines. The movie has the ability to make you burst into laughter at any given moment, but falls somewhat short in quality of directing and writing, making for a fun, but nonetheless second-rate film.