ineapple Express is, in a nutshell, a roll-'em-up, smoke-'em-up, blow-'em-up bromantic comedy that realized cinematic laughter can’t survive on herb alone. The movie has less on its mind than more ambitious movies of late, but it's nonetheless an entertaining empty-calorie snack if you have the movie munchies.

Pineapple Express is the latest comedy by the Judd Apatow movie-a-month factory, written in the usual slapdash fashion by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg from a story by Apatow, who produced. This entry, however, contains a surprising amount of violence and a lead character more likable than any of the kids in "Superbad."

Rogen stars as Dale Denton, a process server, and one day he buys a quarter bag of amazing weed - Pineapple Express, weed so good it smells like "God's vagina"- from dealer Saul (James Franco), a guy who wears pajamas all day and watches Room 227 reruns.

The trouble starts when Dale gets back into his car and witnesses a drug dealer (Gary Cole) and a crooked cop (Rosie Perez) whack a member of an Asian gang that's stealing their clientele. Dale, panicked and parallel-parked, makes such a ruckus that he inadvertently alerts the two killers to his presence. He escapes but leaves behind his stash, the rare and distinctive Pineapple Express, a type of marijuana Ted sells only to Saul.

The killers figure that Dale has witnessed the shooting, and so the chase is on. They're decent guys, but they're in over their heads, which is where most of the film's humor comes from. Rogen and Evan Goldberg's screenplay isn't as sharp about the way young men's minds work as "Superbad" was, but the action-movie elements give "Pineapple" something different.

Rogen contributes his usual decent effort, and young director David Gordon Green herds all the cats well. But the real standout here is Franco, who plays the pickle-eating, bubbie-loving Saul as a fun-loving guy who gets the best lines. ("It's almost a sin to smoke this," he says, the first time he lights up some Express. "It's like killing a unicorn.")

It's good fun, and the cast, which also includes Danny McBride and Rose Perez, is fine. Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson play a pair of bickering, not terribly effective hit men. Amber Heard plays Dale’s girlfriend, a high-schooler who must go into hiding with her parents (Nora Dunn, Ed Begley Jr.) when Dale fears they may be targeted by the heavies.

Like last summer's Apatow entry Superbad, Pineapple Express is very much about male friendship, buddies and bonding. But it's too long - and the violence and mayhem are unexpectedly harsh and heavy - but Franco's inspired, looped performance is right up there in the annals of reefer filmdom. As a result, yes, it's a druggie comedy that made me laugh.