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Reviews
Pineapple Express (2008)
The stoner flick the world has been waiting for.
Judd Apatow is by no means a master of cinema, but with Pineapple Express he has mastered a genre. The latest of Apatow's notoriously silly story lines is brought to life by excellent writing and acting -- excellent for a stoner flick, that is. Seth Rogen and James Franco interact beautifully and believably in a relationship whose full hilarity can only be understood by those who have experienced the unique quirks of the cannabis community. Throughout the film, the writers poke fun at the various niceties observed when using and dealing pot. The script is full of examples of the hysterical things that come out of people's mouths when they're stoned, giving the film a stupid humor that lasts the whole time (Rogen and Franco's characters are high for most of the movie).
I wasn't a fan of the entire thing; Apatow's style still often rubs me the wrong way. But the good thing is that this film never takes itself too seriously, allowing the awesome humor of pot smoking to dominate, as it should. Anyone seeking a good number of laughs and a friendly reflection on the comical world of marijuana will be satisfied. This film is not one for the ages, nor is it one to be taken seriously, but you'll laugh yourself silly and appreciate the stupidity of the thing itself. Much like pot itself.
WALL·E (2008)
Pixar DOES IT AGAIN!
Hands down, this is a legendary picture. Never has so much genius gone into the creation of a film, animated or live action. In WALL-E, Pixar has created two robots that fall in love. Remember when Allan Arkush gave us the unforgettably abysmal Heartbeeps? Same concept, yet WALL-E is on the complete other end of the spectrum. For all of the reasons we hated Heartbeeps, we now love WALL-E. The two stars are barely humanoids, yet their fantastically subtle gestures are so human that I was once reminded of a mannerism of a friend. The plot is appropriately ecological (we ARE living in the green decade, after all) and much of the script follows that of a traditional children's film. Yet Pixar's unmatched ability to mix unreal visuals with simple, hysterical wit shines through and gives us the greatest masterpiece in the history of animation. Hands down, the animated feature of the year, and a kick to M. Night's package for turning out such a disastrous "horror" flick when the heart of a child carries this flick to the highest level of film. Just see it!
Phil of the Future (2004)
Disney's Best Show Ever
You can't say enough about Phil of the Future. It has a perfect mix of comedy, futuristic gadgets, and romance, so that everyone can find what they are looking for. I enjoy it because unlike most other Disney shows that keep romance as the third, fourth, or even fifth storyline, the writers have given the romantic side of this show a lot of emphasis, and it deserves it with an incredible cast of Ricky and Aly, but haven't overplayed it too much. As a result we get an incredibly funny show that almost always leaves us with a bit more to chew on in the Phil-Keely love story.
In my opinion the casting is superb, and the main reason why this show has been such a giant success. Unfortunately, as a Disney Channel show, it has expectedly enjoyed a rather short lifespan of two seasons despite its popularity. However, those two seasons and 43 episodes could not have told the story better. With its fantastic writing and its "something-for-everyone" feel, Phil of the Future is destined to go down as one of Disney's most well-loved shows of all time.