What's the point of making a parody of an unintentionally funny movie, at least one as self-evidently specious as Reefer Madness? Not unlike hearing a really bad joke and then being subjected to an endless explanation of its underlying humor, RM: TMM riffs even more exaggeratedly on everything from the 1936 film that's been disproved by advances in science and psychology. However, the real subject of this ugly, unfunny movie is moral revisionism, i.e., pretending that our enlightened age is safe from the prejudices and errant thinking of previous generations. It's quite a snide little film, taking safe jabs at a perceived backward era without adding anything substantive to the mix. This is the height of lazy thinking and broad, liberal pandering, as if a couple of psych-major potheads screened the original film, got all indignant, and decided to decry its factual inaccuracies in musical form. Of course it screened at Sundance and of course it was heralded as a comedy gem.

I'm not mad, I tell you! I'm not! It just soothes my nerves. A little reefer never hurt anyone, right? Right?! Don't listen to that cretin who comes to town to explain the dangers of "marihuana." That lecturer (Alan Cumming, X-MEN 2) is the true enemy. He feeds fear into your hearts and minds (Bushism?)! He is the one fertilizing your prejudices. That film he shows you? All lies! One hit of the "deadly reefer" does not drive you toward insanity. It doesn't, I tell you! Jimmy Harper (Christian Campbell, PRETTY DEAD GIRL) is alive and well, I say! He lives in Humboldt County, California (or was it Berkeley), caring for his wife, Mary Lane (Kirsten Bell, VERONICA MARS) and their thirteen children. Their lives DO NOT (do you hear me!) mimic Romeo and Juliet's in any way! Fatalistic nihilism my butt! Jack Stone (Steven Weber, WILL & GRACE) is a nice businessman. He sells pots and seeds (okay, so some of them look a bit suspicious but COME ON!) And when Mae Coleman (Ana Gasteyer, Saturday NIGHT LIVE) yells at him, well, she deserves what she gets! And invoking a song by Jesus! Oh, puhlllease! Is this really necessary? I touched "marihuana" once (well, maybe ten times ...this week) but that doesn't mean I need divine intervention from a Tom Jones-ish Christ figure who belts out Vegas-style songs from the cross, does it? I think not.And what about Ralph (John Kassir, TALES FROM THE CRYPT)? That poor, misunderstood cannibal. If you leave him alone without food of course he's going to revert back to his man-eating methods. Can we really judge him so plainly? This show is a sham, I tell you! A sham! And I won't stand for it! That lecturer is the true drug. He's the addiction. Believe him not! (This review in no way condones the use of ignorance by the makers of the original Reefer Madness — 1937 — nor is its intent to sway those with a penchant for drugs, sex, and more drugs away from their chosen recreation)

I think that most people saying bad things about this movie must think it takes itself seriously, which says something about the people to begin with. If you know the original 1936 version, this movie is awesome, otherwise you'll likely be confused. It is a sarcastic version of the original film with some great campy music, with great choreography. The songs that have nothing to do with pot are some of the best. It may seem like it was convenient for rhyming purposes to call the love interest Mary Lane, yet that was her name in the 1936 version, long before they called pot Mary Jane. Just a great coincidence that made for great rhyming. The DVD includes the hour long 1936 movie, if you haven't seen it, watch it first. This really is a musical version of that same story, pot paranoia intact, as the original was misinformed scare tactics. Despite your stance on legalization, you can't deny that the original film grossly exaggerated the effects. One hit and people become killers and whores. The movie is first and foremost a goofy musical comedy though. If you are looking for a message you won't find one except maybe the fact that people used to believe anything they saw on film. Don't judge this movie without seeing the original though, and if you don't get a laugh out of the original, you wont out of this either. It is required viewing, so much that they included it on the DVD!

Even as I sat down to write this review, I had to remind myself I just saw a movie. Reefer Madness plays on screen so fresh as a stage performance, that I was immediately carried by smoke clouds into a theatre to watch this delightful play.The cast overacts every scene to sheer perfection, delivering every witty line of dialogue with enough power to make the audience laugh their high away. Speaking of dialogue, it is crisp and full of flavor. You get the sense that Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney tried to see who could make the other laugh the hardest while writing the play.The film stays mostly true to the original propaganda film that it is adapted from. Add in the catchy scores that stick with you long after the film and a few hilarious scenes, and you have the modern rendition: A group of teens fall into marijuana's trap in an over-the-top, colorful comedy that is so enjoyable, it is just as good the second and third times through.Personally, I am not a fan of musicals (Moulin Rouge being my rare exception), but after renting this movie, I have already begun my search on a way to purchase it. I could watch it routinely and never lose a moment of fun. And, No! You don't have to be high to like it.