Isn't it ironic that, for someone who once rhymed about the horrors of weed, Dr. Dre's career now seems to be almost entirely based around it? The message is pretty clear, with 1999's Dr. Dre 2001 proudly emblazoned with a marijuana leaf and the coinciding Up In Smoke tour across America, whatever Dre used to think about weed doesn't really fit into his career outline these days. Never forget that Dre was also one of the key players in the Napster lynch mob, but just so happened to be one of the best examples of artists whose album sales benefited so handsomely from the now defunct program. Yet for all this schizophrenic moral gymnastics, the man just keeps getting richer. Go figure.

Recently, it seems that Dr. Dre has also had a rather hefty gnaw from the acting bug. Although his cameos in films such as Set it Off and Training Day were largely decent, if The Wash is the best lead role that he can muster, then he should probably get that gnaw looked at by a professional.

With the rent overdue, a boot on his car and a fresh position of unemployment, Sean (Dr. Dre) needs to get some cash in his wallet before his life gets any worse. Sean's best buddy and roommate Dee Loc (Snoop Dogg) suggests that Sean should try and get a job at his work, the local car wash. But when Sean scores the supervisor position, Dee Loc is none too happy. He thinks the power has gone to Sean's head, and suspects him of trying to smother his less than legal sideline operations. Tension begins to flare between the two and Dee Loc takes it upon himself to make Sean's life a living hell, both at work and at home. But when their boss gets kidnapped by a disgruntled previous employee, they must work together to rescue him if they want to keep their jobs and restore their friendship. Yes, some weed is involved from time to time too...

As the writer of the Friday series of films and the writer/director of 3 Strikes and The Wash, D.J. Pooh is fast becoming the doyen of the new wave of the blaxploitation/weed flick. Fans of the genre know that if Pooh's name is attached, then it's a fairly steadfast seal of quality. Then again, we're talking about an audience that is extremely easy to please. The recipe is almost verbatim every time. Start off with some ghetto humour, check for ample booty, add a dab of weed, select an 'ill' hip-hop soundtrack and throw in a few rap superstars to cap it off, and you've got everything you need to create your very own addition to the genre.

So, is The Wash funny? Well, even though Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg both possess inklings of comic timing and acting ability, if one were to describe the film as lowbrow, then they would probably be of fairly positive demeanour. The childish and predictable humour will turn many people right off, while hip-hop industry in-jokes will pretty much exclude the rest. A guilty guffaw is certainly possible from time to time, most of which can be attributed to Pooh's hilarious cameo as a dim-witted kidnapper; but this is one film that doesn't really warrant viewing unless you're particularly keen on the careers of both leads. Oh, and anybody thinking that the film's title might be hinting at a constant bevy of next-to-naked ladies soaping up automobiles, well, besides one minor incident, it is sadly not to be.

Universal have produced a rather tasty video transfer for The Wash, especially considering the film's relatively low profile. The colour reproduction is quite fetching, with solid levels right throughout. Black levels are also largely decent, however there are a few minor film artefacts present. Some varying grain levels drag things down a little bit, but overall, this transfer is just fine.

While the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is certainly clear and well separated, there's not a whole lot within the film that takes advantage of this besides the film's soundtrack. There are no problems with dialogue levels, or to be more precise, "yo, dat gangsta speak iz breezy listenin' sneezy". And yes, there just so happens to be one or two songs with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on the soundtrack.

Besides the theatrical trailers that play on start-up, The Wash also contains a couple of interview reels. Both reels have plenty of Q&A with the stars, the director and miscellaneous others, as well as interviews from the film's premiere. Pretty far from thrilling, but worth checking out if you're really keen on Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, or even if you want to find out that D.J. Pooh is actually a really nice guy.

It's not really worth getting into a social debate over who The Wash will and will not appeal to. It's really as clear as day, if you pick it up and don't think it looks appealing, then rest assured that you're not missing out on anything. This is strictly for fans of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, or anybody keen on films in the style of Friday or How High.