he Judd Apatow factory is at it again with “Pineapple Express,” the latest adult comedy from the man behind “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up” and “Superbad.”

Apatow only gets producer and story credits (with “Express” co-star Seth Rogan and “Superbad” cowriter Evan Goldberg), but this still has all the elements of an Apatow film – but this time there are a few more misses and a few less hits.

Rogan stars as Dale Denton, a stoner working as a process server who accidentally witnesses a murder by a crooked cop (Rosie Perez) and a ruthless drug lord (Gary Cole).

Dale soon discovers the weed he just purchased from his dealer Saul (James Franco) is a rare strain that the drug lord can trace back to him, forcing Dale and Saul to run for their lives.

“Express” definitely has some memorable moments, but the film suffers in comparison to films like “Superbad” and “Knocked Up.”

The stoners are essentially the same kind of slacker characters seen in Cheech and Chong movies, or even “Half Baked,” although they’re in a film that feels a little more high brow (or as high brow as you can get with pothead humor).

To Rogan’s and Franco’s credit, both give performances that are a cut above their clich/d characters – especially Franco, who is able to generate chuckles with a simple clueless facial expression.

Rogan and Franco are aided by several funny supporting performances – including Danny R. McBride as Saul’s supplier and Craig Robinson as a sensitive hit man trying to track down Dale and Saul.

The script is also full of little moments – like Dale’s interaction with his high school girlfriend and her family – that really tease the film is about to completely take off. Unfortunately, director David Gordon Green (who directed the indie-sensation “Snow Angels”) is never able to sustain any comic momentum – mainly because the film has such a violent undertone to it.

Don’t get me wrong, “Express” is still good enough that I left entertained – just not nearly as much as I hoped I would.

Also in theaters

There are some movies that you can just put your brain on autopilot and enjoy, and then there are movies like “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (D), which are so mind-numbingly dumb that even autopilot can’t save it.

This third installment of “The Mummy” franchise is full of action sequences that try to thrill, but ultimately just crash together into a rather predictable ball of mediocrity.

“Tomb” picks up in the 1940s with Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife, Evelyn (Maria Bello, who replaces Rachel Wiesz), lured out of retirement when their son Alex (Luke Ford) awakens an ancient Chinese dragon emperor (Jet Li) who was cursed more than 2,000 years ago.

Before long the emperor has resurrected his 10,000 warriors, with intentions of taking over the world. Now it is up to the O’Connells and a mysterious sorceress (Michelle Yeoh) to put an end to the emperor’s plans and banish him back into exile forever.

I was a fan of the first “Mummy” film and the second one was OK, but really not very good. Both are “The Dark Knight” compared to this pile of garbage, which feels like something that was just rushed together just so everyone involved could get a quick payday.

Fraser, who was pretty good in “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” looks bored and tired here, with a performance that is so underplayed it seems like he just wanted to forget this experience as soon as possible.

I’ve been a fan of Bello’s for a long time, but she is absolutely dreadful – with one of the worst English accents in the history of film. I realize it was going to be tough to get Wiesz, who has won an Oscar in the seven years since the last film, but why not just kill the character off instead of replacing her with someone who is unable to pull it off.

Li and Yeoh probably fare the best of all the cast, but that really isn’t saying much.

Director Rob Cohen tries to hide his uninterested cast under a sea of special effects, but after a while even that wears out its welcome – much like this past-its-prime franchise.

“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is rated PG-13 for adventure action and violence and is now playing at the Great Escape 12, Franklin Drive-In and Highland Cinemas in Glasgow.

— When he’s not getting major scoops on WWE wrestling events (do YOU know who’s going to be in the main event at SummerSlam?), sportswriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton can be reached by e-mailing mcompton@bgdailynews.com.