There are two halves to “50/50” that wouldn’t be very entertaining if they each expanded into its own full-length movie.

A movie about fighting a rare form of cancer isn’t many people’s idea of escapist entertainment. And watching Seth Rogen laugh through yet another raunchy stoner comedy wouldn’t be so annoying had he not already made three or four movies exactly like it.

Combining the two, however, turns out to be a winning formula in “50/50,” a very funny story about cancer that contains moments of powerful, devastating drama. The pot jokes help to ease the blow. (more…)