Harold and Kumar Reprised: Who Knew Two Stoners Were Capable of Political Commentary This Good?
Written: Apr 26 '08
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: a ton of laughs, surprisingly daft political commentary (considering)
Cons: plot drags and is weak in spots
The Bottom Line: See review
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| MattA75's Full Review: Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay |
If the idea of President Bush smoking a joint with a pair of young stoners, proclaiming that Dick Cheney scares even him, is not your idea of humor, then perhaps the new film Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay is not for you.
Despite the original Harold and Kumar film (Go to White Castle) being something of a box office flop, a sequel was planned when the movie developed a cult following on DVD. For all of the stupid comedies that Hollywood pumps out, the original H&K film was one of the better ones to come along in years.
John Cho (Harold) and Kal Penn (Kumar) reprise their roles as a pair of stoners on their way to Amsterdam in order to find Harold's love as well as to find the ultimate high. On the plane however, Kumar's bong is mistaken for a bomb by an elderly passenger, and soon the two are moved to Guantanamo Bay as accused terrorists.
Rob Corddry plays the head of Homeland Security, who is convinced that Al Qaeda and North Korea are now working together. In his attempt to find out everything he can about H&K's "plot," he utilizes every single xenophobic stereotype he can possibly unearth.
The fact that a Harold & Kumar movie is one of the first comedies to parody the US government's response to 9/11 is both surprising and sad. After the boys escape from Guantanamo, they begin a journey to Texas that they hope will get them out of the mess they're in. On the way, they encounter a friend throwing a "bottomless party," (because "topless is normal and boring now"), a KKK rally, and a street basketball game that results in one of the funniest scenes (if not the most offensive as well) in the whole movie. And yes, Neil Patrick Harris reprises his role as himself, and he is just as funny here as he was in the original film.
Cho & Penn have a distinct chemistry on-screen, and their friendship, bonded by White Castle and marijuana, feels completely real. The movie overplays it's hand at times, resulting in a couple of moments where you'll just want to roll your eyes. It isn't the most intelligent humor, but it is a very funny send up of the US government post 9/11, and the scene where they share a joint with Dubya is priceless in so many ways. Making Dubya a sympathetic character isn't exactly easy, and yet not only do the filmmakers pull it off, but they do it with some serious laughs.
The plot drags in a couple of spots, and as I said before, a couple of times you'll be rolling your eyes. But these shortcomings are made up for with very funny jokes that come at the audience rapidly. Is it the most intelligent humor around? Surely not. But if you're looking for a completely mindless flick to escape into for a couple of hours, Escape From Guantanamo Bay is certainly not a bad choice.
If you liked the first Harold and Kumar flick, I see no reason you wouldn't enjoy this one as well. It's not Oscar worthy, but not every movie should be aiming for that. Harold and Kumar aims to keep the audience laughing, and it succeeds at that better than 90% of the comedies Hollywood is pumping out these days.
4 stars out of 5.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Funny Movie
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Pacing
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Epinions.com ID:
MattA75
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Member: Matt Aucoin
Location: South Berwick, ME
Reviews written: 1162
Trusted by: 465 members
About Me:
Gonna be a daddy, April 2010!
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