[yasr_overall_rating]
Two stoners unknowingly smuggle a van – made entirely of marijuana – from Mexico to L.A., with incompetent Sgt. Stedenko on their trail.
Stoner movies are an acquired taste. Literally and figuratively. And seeing that I never smoked a joint in my life (seriously), and the fact that I don’t drink any kind of alcohol, or smoke, one could probably wonder: “why in the hell would you watch a film like ‘Up in Smoke’ clear-headed?” Curiosity I guess. I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s but not in America, in Dublin, Ireland, so the culture back there as opposed to, say, California, during that same timeframe, would have been vastly different. However, while I did have friends who smoked marijuana, it was just something I never got into so the whole “Pot Culture” thing would have gone right over my head. Having said that though, Cheech & Chong were well-known during those decades, even in Ireland so even though I had never seen any of their movies, I did know who they were.
Watching “Up In Smoke” was something I wanted to do myself, I needed to see what the big fuss was all about. And in the end, it amounted to nothing. For me, anyway. The filmmakers try to add some semblance of a cohesive narrative but in the end, this film and their many others, were put out there specifically for their hardcore fans who’d watch their idols while smoking a doobie. Cheech & Chong didn’t care about a storyline, and neither did their fans. When you’re high, I guess even watching paint dry can be amusing.
Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong pretty much play themselves, stoners who just drift along in life, smoke dope, and get entangled in illegal operations. When they get deported back to Tijuana, Mexico, they accidentally stumble across a plot to smuggle a van back into the United States but unbeknownst to them, the vehicle is completely made out of weed (don’t ask!). They successfully manage to drive it across the border with Sergeant Stedenko (Stacy Keach), of the LAPD, hot on their tail. On their way to L.A., the two stoners accidentally, but fortuitously for them, lose Stedenko and his inept narcotics unit and pick up two beautiful hitchhikers who talk them into performing in a Battle of the Bands contest at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood. They agree and turn up at the venue, parking the vehicle right outside the entrance, not realizing that the van’s exhaust is burning and that marijuana smoke is being funneled directly into the theatre. After the show begins, most of the other performers are not well received but the audience takes to Cheech & Chong and they end up winning. The fact that the entire venue is filled with marijuana and that everyone inside, including Stedenko and his fellow cops, are all high, undoubtedly gave them the upper hand.
This movie is for hardcore fans only. The casual viewer will not get the humor, especially if they’ve never smoked a joint before. I can see the appeal both men had in their youth but forty years later, “Up in Smoke” most certainly does not hold up well. Stacy Keach, Tom Skerritt, and June Fairchild all turn up in supporting roles but are utterly wasted. Figuratively. I had thought about checking out some of their other movies, thinking that one, possibly two, might be somewhat more interesting, but when I was told that this one was considered by most fans, to be their best, I tossed that idea right out the window. Now that I can finally say I’ve seen a Cheech & Chong movie, I can honestly say, nothing in my life has changed. Absolutely nothing. Not one little bit.
Available on Blu-ray Combo Pack & DVD April 10th
