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By now you’re probably wondering whether Up in Smoke is as stupid as it sounds, and I am pleased to tell you that the answer is no. It’s actually TWICE as stupid as it sounds. There are really only two running gags in the film. With the cops mounting an ineffective pursuit, Cheech and Chong bumble their way around town, high out of their minds, running into trouble because they have no idea what day it is. The second half of the movie mixes it up a bit, upping the ante by letting the cops chase them all over Los Angeles in a van literally made out of weed. Of course it’s stupid, but there’s often great joy to be found in watching buffoons be buffoons. Up in Smoke is a buddy road trip/stoner comedy, a chase movie, and - at times - a musical.

It’s directed by Lou Adler, less known for making films than for being an award winning record producer, but Adler is smart enough to let the movie sell itself, not getting in the way of the story in an effort to prove that he’s more talented than he is. For the most part it works, and if you let yourself go with it, Pedro and Man’s street conscious humor and clever wordplay proves to be infectious. There’s a lot of great music in Up in Smoke as well, providing a fairly steady and entertaining soundtrack that either lifts up or compensates for what’s happening on screen, whatever the case may be. It’s really just a casual good time, cruising the streets of L.A. in a van made of weed, getting some sun, getting some traffic tickets, and checking out some groovy music.

Cheech and Chong themselves are, I suspect, more or less being themselves - Cheech ends literally every sentence with “man,” and Chong sounds like he’s got a mouth full of marshmallows every time he speaks. Their...um...characters...smoke so much grass that they look at everything from the perspective of people who smoke way too much grass. It’s the driving force behind every conversation. Tom Skerritt appears only briefly, playing a Vietnam vet suffering from serious flashbacks. It's actually kind of funny, so much so that I feel bad for laughing at it. Stacey Keach literally eats the screen, his character a combination of Rex Kramer from Airplane and Buford T. Justice.

I’ve only seen this movie a couple of times, but I doubt I’ll ever get tired of seeing Cheech and Chong drive through the background in their pot-van while Keach stands in frame, bellowing and scratching his head, wondering where they are. If dumb comedy is your thing, then Up in Smoke will take you back. If not, then whatever you do, just stick around for the end. The movie closes on a musical number Jake and Elwood Blues would give up their Ray-Bans to cover. It’s the kind of movie you don’t have to be high to enjoy, but even if you’re not, you might think you are by the time it's over. And everyone who contributed to that 38 percent Rotten Tomatoes score...you people are on something a lot stronger than Maui Waui.

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