You can’t fault 20th Century Fox for trying to slip yet another stoner comedy on an unsuspecting public. Ridiculously paced, sloppy comedies with a marijuana kick have performed well with their target teenaged audiences for years, from the recent “”Dazed and Confused”” to the ancient but relevant “”Cheech & Chong”” series.
So where on that perennial pie chart of pot does “”Dude, Where’s My Car?,”” which if you haven’t figured out by the title involves two stoners who embark on a journey to find a missing vehicle, fit in? Somewhere between “”Half Baked”” and “”PCU.””Jesse (Ashton Kutcher) and Chester (Seann William Scott) can’t remember a thing. They forgot their anniversary with the twins (Jennifer Garner, Marla Sokoloff). They forgot what they did the night before. And, more importantly, they forgot where they parked their car. The two set out to find the lost vehicle, and instead uncover break dancing strippers, a dog that smokes weed, five supermodels from outer space, a family of ostriches and Andy Dick. In lieu of a plot, “”Dude”” features a continuous parade of freaks that Jesse and Chester interact with — though the reasoning behind these encounters (something about a stolen intergalactic gadget) is wafer thin. Predictable jokes can be funny, but “”Dude”” has a bizarre habit of repeating jokes over an over until the humor has been bled dry. And though his intentions are unclear, director Danny Leiner, in reality, has created the most mainstream gay comedy since “”The Birdcage.””Traditionally, these lowbrow comedies perform much better on home video, when frat brothers and skate punks can comb over each flat joke in the comfort of their own basements. And the “”Dude”” disc gives them plenty more to enjoy. Fox has added 7 extended scenes, a short “”Making Of”” featurette, a Grand Theft Auto music video for the song “”Stoopid Ass,”” and a running commentary by Leiner, Kutcher and William Scott. Now if only the studio could legally include some chemical substances to inhale before the show, “”Dude”” might begin to make sense.Final Grade: D