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Half Baked (1998)
Comedy icon Dave Chappelle out himself on the map as the star and co-screenwriter of a silly stoner comedy called Half Baked which pretty much coasts on the charm and wit of Chappelle, though it has developed a bit of a cult status.
This 1998 comedy stars Chappelle, Guillermo Diaz, and Jim Breuer as a trio of stoner buddies who steal marijuana from a hospital and start selling it in order to get the fourth member of their posse (Harland Williams) out of jail. Their mission is complicated by a pretty girl named Mary Jane (Rachel True) who Chappelle falls for her hard, even though she hates drugs and a rival drug dealer (the late Clarence Williams III) who thinks our heroes are cutting in on his territory.
Chappelle co-wrote the screenplay with Neil Brennan, who was a former writer on SNL and on Chappelle's variety show. The beginning of the movie is funniest where the characters are introduced to us through Chappelle's very funny narration. There are sporadic laughs as we see the guys getting high on their own supply and see this particular strain of marijuana give its consumers the ability to float mid-air. Scenes of a lot of potheads smoking are blended with scenes of Harland Williams' character in jail trying to protect his virgin ass with the help of a fellow inmate (Tommy Chong).
There are funny moments spread throughout the movie, but the romance with Mary Jane always slows things down because we never buy the fact that she thinks Chappelle's Thurgood doesn't smoke and it takes way too long for her to catch on.
Truthfully, it's the charm and wit of Chappelle that keeps this thing relatively watchable. Diaz and Clarence Williams III make the most of their screentime and there are fun cameos from Willie Nelson, Bob Saget, Tracy Morgan, Snoop Dogg, and Jon Stewart. It's nothing special, but Chappelle fans will enjoy it.
Comedy icon Dave Chappelle out himself on the map as the star and co-screenwriter of a silly stoner comedy called Half Baked which pretty much coasts on the charm and wit of Chappelle, though it has developed a bit of a cult status.
This 1998 comedy stars Chappelle, Guillermo Diaz, and Jim Breuer as a trio of stoner buddies who steal marijuana from a hospital and start selling it in order to get the fourth member of their posse (Harland Williams) out of jail. Their mission is complicated by a pretty girl named Mary Jane (Rachel True) who Chappelle falls for her hard, even though she hates drugs and a rival drug dealer (the late Clarence Williams III) who thinks our heroes are cutting in on his territory.
Chappelle co-wrote the screenplay with Neil Brennan, who was a former writer on SNL and on Chappelle's variety show. The beginning of the movie is funniest where the characters are introduced to us through Chappelle's very funny narration. There are sporadic laughs as we see the guys getting high on their own supply and see this particular strain of marijuana give its consumers the ability to float mid-air. Scenes of a lot of potheads smoking are blended with scenes of Harland Williams' character in jail trying to protect his virgin ass with the help of a fellow inmate (Tommy Chong).
There are funny moments spread throughout the movie, but the romance with Mary Jane always slows things down because we never buy the fact that she thinks Chappelle's Thurgood doesn't smoke and it takes way too long for her to catch on.
Truthfully, it's the charm and wit of Chappelle that keeps this thing relatively watchable. Diaz and Clarence Williams III make the most of their screentime and there are fun cameos from Willie Nelson, Bob Saget, Tracy Morgan, Snoop Dogg, and Jon Stewart. It's nothing special, but Chappelle fans will enjoy it.