Half Baked (1998)

Directed by Tamra Davis. Starring Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Díaz, Jim Breuer, Rachel True, Harland Williams, Clarence Williams III, Laura Silverman, Dave Nichols, Jason Blicker, Steven Wright. [R]

Stoner shenanigans from a trio of slow-witted clowns who try selling vast quantities of marijuana so they can bail their buddy (Williams) out of jail after he fed his “munchies run” junk food to a diabetic police horse. Some funny moments and quotable lines, but even by the standards of bong-haze filmmaking, this is a pretty lazy effort, and too “safe” and juvenile to work as anything other than a fitful, aimless guffaw-generator. Co-written by Chappelle with Neal Brennan; anyone hoping for some of the comic’s fearlessness, razor wit, and socially-conscious observations should look elsewhere. Features an armload of cameos from the likes of Jon Stewart, Janeane Garofalo, Snoop Dogg, Tommy Chong, Willie Nelson, and Bob Saget.

46/100