Pineapple Express

If Pineapple Express was a train I’d say “get off now!” But it’s not. It’s a movie. So you translate the metaphor.

Pineapple Express also happens to be a special type of marijuana (in which case “get off now!” is still apt).

The latest movie from the creative team that brought us The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad and Forgetting Sarah Marshall is everything you would expect but worse.

Each of these movies is known for containing extremely crude, sexually explicit humour and scenes and could not really be commended by Christians (which is why I am not going to use this review to fight an uphill battle). However, each of these movies contained an oddly ‘sweet’ sentiment. In Knocked Up, for example, a young man impregnates a young woman during a one-night stand. Abortion is quickly dismissed as an option and fidelity is regarded as a virtue as they choose to see the pregnancy through to birth and strive to remain together as a couple.

Each of these films have been huge hits with audiences, particularly youth, so if you want to know what your teenager or youth group kids are probably going to be watching with their friends in the next month, Pineapple Express is it.

Sadly, Pineapple Express lacks any of the sweet sentiment that served as a small saving grace in these aforementioned films. The only redeemable feature may be that Dale (played by co-writer Seth Rogen) at one point realises that being under the influence of marijuana has caused a film length’s worth of problems for he and his drug dealer turned buddy Saul (James Franco). The closing scene also alludes to the value of platonic friendship, but really…

I have never seen a Cheech and Chong movie, but I imagine Pineapple Express is aiming to be ‘the’ drug-themed buddy movie for the new millennium that ‘Up in Smoke’ must have been in 1978. If you were around then, email me and tell me if this is so ;-)

I’m not going to bother recounting the story because it doesn’t really matter. The proportion of crude jokes is significantly reduced compared to the previous films from producer Judd Apatow. However, that is only because they are replaced with drug jokes.  Also, as the story progresses to a warehouse shootout with drug dealers, there are scenes of gore equivalent to the violence of an action or horror film.

The main theme Christians ought to be concerned with, however, is the fairly explicit condoning of illicit drug use. Despite Dale’s admittance that being under the influence of narcotics has negatively affected his life, and the obvious point that drug dealers can be dangerous and unscrupulous people, the overall thrust of the film seems to indicate that dabbling in drug use on an occasional basis is basically okay. As long as you can manage your drug use it is not an addiction and therefore not a problem.

As long as drugs are illegal, Christians ought to be law abiding and avoid drug use. Submitting to authority is a biblical mandate and to do otherwise is not a good witness for Christ. However, what about a Christian in Amsterdam where marijuana is legalised? Is it acceptable for a Christian to purchase and consume marijuana in that context?

Romans 13 and 1 Corinthians 5 and 6 are clear in condemning drunkenness as sinful behaviour for Christians. Does the altered state of mind caused by drugs give reason for condemnation? Certainly, a consistent state of sobriety is a requirement for Christian eldership in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 so surely even a Christian in Amsterdam would have to give serious consideration to engaging in drug use, irrespective of the government’s approval.

Setting aside the issue of drug use, Pineapple Express is a film that indulges in the ridiculous, the crude and the distasteful for the sake of humour. Any discussion that it does raise is likely to only be as an example of what ‘not’ to do.

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