"You wanna get high, man?”
“Does Howdy Doody have wooden balls, man?”
The Story:
Anthony (Tommy Chong) and Pedro (Cheech Marin) are a couple of guys in search of the simple pleasures in life: good tunes, hot women, and prime weed. After Pedro picks up a hitch-hiking Anthony in his “Love Machine,” the boys embark on a series of smoked-out misadventures. Their exploits eventually land them south of the border and afoul of the cops, who end up chasing the duo after they unwittingly commandeer a van made entirely of marijuana.
The Review:
Cheech and Chong’s first cinematic outing basically introduced the world to the stoner comedy; as such, the plot is about as fast and loose as its stars, as it moves from one silly sequence to the next with little regard for a sustained story. In fact, the first half of the movie is just a series of loosely-connected stoner antics; somewhere along the way, the two decide to hit up a “Battle of the Bands” competition, where the film unexpectedly climaxes. It would probably be redundant to speculate that Cheech and Chong were toking up while cranking out this script, but it sort of adds to the charm. While a lot of it just sort of elicits giggles, there are also some genuinely uproarious moments, and you don’t even have to be stoned yourself to appreciate most of the humor (though I’m sure it helps!). Stuff like comically-exaggerated joints and glassy-eyed, oblivious encounters with the police are probably funnier amidst a smoky haze, but it’s not exactly essential.
The Cheech and Chong personas also carry a lot of currency with audiences; this a fun duo, as they’re just a couple of buds who don’t ask for much from life. In this sense, Up in Smoke is just a plain good buddy comedy about two guys hitting the road and having a good time. The pair shows a camaraderie and expert comedic timing that was no doubt a result of having already been a comedy team for ten years at that point.
They’re also surrounded by a colorful cast of characters, such as Strothers Martin as Chong’s father, who is dismayed at his son’s lack of a job. Oddly enough, he threatens to ship him off to military school despite the fact that he’s pushing 40. Tom Skerritt shows up as Cheech’s cousin Strawberry, a Vietnam vet who knows where to get the good stuff. Hilarity ensues, however, when he suddenly thinks he’s back in ’Nam fighting off the Viet Cong. Finally, Stacy Keach is the inept cop hot on their trail. He’s an over-zealous Jackie Gleason type (it’s too bad the “Smokey” moniker was already taken) who is surrounded by even more incompetent, bumbling idiots who are more concerned with donuts than chasing down criminals.
Up in Smoke manages to be a surprisingly competent production; this was Lou Adler’s first movie (and he only directed one more after it), but it’s a nice-looking film with a rich color palette and excellent photography. Most importantly, the film is paced well--there are very few buzz-killing scenes to be found in this one, as its 86 minutes are rolled tighter than the fattest joint. Alder’s music background also fills the film with some great tunes, including the duo’s famous “Earache in My Eye,” as well as the film’s breezy theme song that serves as an ode to stoner life. The best musical choice, however, is the use of War’s “Low Rider,” which scores the opening credits and introduces us to Cheech and his “Love Machine,” a bombed-out (and of course tricked-out) ride that’s his pride and joy. What makes Up in Smoke work so well is its good-natured treatment of its characters--they’re just a couple of guys who will never get their act together, and that’s just how we like it, man. (Brett G.)
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Best review on this flick I've come across. Nice work.
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