A breath of fresh air for the Apatow-produced comedies, “Pineapple Express” is part “Die Hard,” part “Dude, Where’s My Car?” and all entertainment.

The film stars Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up”) as Dale and James Franco (“Spider-Man”) as Saul, a complacent process server and a hapless marijuana dealer respectively.

After buying a new high-quality brand of vegetation from Saul, Dale happens to witness a murder that pulls the pair into a gang war between nondescript Asian dealers and drug lord Ted (Gary Cole, “Office Space”).

Writers Rogen and Evan Goldberg have crafted this film as both an unapologetic dialogue-driven stoner buddy comedy and an ’80s action film.

There is all the vulgar improvised dialogue that is to be expected when Apatow, Rogen and Goldberg are involved. However, it is the action scenes that make the movie both exciting and hilarious.

The action is constructed respectably and functionally, and the absurdity of these scenes manages to make the movie funnier as a whole. It is unlikely viewers will be waiting for the action scene to be done so they can get back to the interactions between Franco and Rogen, or vice-versa.

Rogen plays essentially the same gruff, vulgar yet lovable character he’s played in every major film he’s starred in. However, playing said character so many times has given him the chance to refine it, and his performance manages to be both funny and engaging.

It is Franco who steals the show in his role as a long-haired doofus.

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