Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)April 30th, 2008
bHarold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bayb -- This Time, Itbs the Audience that Takes the Hit
When their first bstoner-buddyb film came out in 2004 (bHarold and Kumar Go to White Castleb), it was a funny night of frustration and near-death experiences. Their single-minded purpose to find the closest White Castle restaurant was only temporarily compromised by the need to find marijuana along the way. The two starring actors had faces that seemed more familiar than their names. The Asian dude is Harold (John Cho) and the Indian dude is Kumar (Kal Penn). But since that first film, each has earned some credibility. Cho appeared as a guest star on several TV shows and will play Lt. Sulu in the upcoming bStar Trekb prequel. Meanwhile, Penn starred in the critically-liked 2006bs bThe Namesakeb.
Well, whatever advances theybve made since then will be effectively nullified with this moronic follow-up. If you saw Harold and Kumarbs burger quest in 2004 and you have some kind of loyalty to these two, then you may want to see them escape from Guantanamo Bay if only because there arenbt many comedy films that pair a Korean and an Indian. But if you never saw them before, then trust me when I say that now is not the time to get acquainted with them. This film is barely funny, often banal, and frequently bad.
The film is overflowing with naughty stoner antics. Get ready for plenty of nude women, liberal bong usage, and Neil Patrick Harris chasing unicorns while 'shrooming. The charm and the wit present throughout the first film disappear about 20 minutes into this one. It starts out ok enough. Harold and Kumar are on a flight, Amsterdam bound to find girls and ganja. But Kumar, who could be the cover boy for High Times magazine, canbt wait and feels compelled to try out his scientifically advanced bong. The apparatus looks suspiciously like a bomb. Kumar looks suspiciously like a terrorist. Good bye Amsterdam, hello imprisonment.
From the title of the film, itbs no surprise that they escape. And now begins a manic road trip from Miami to Texas where these two hope to find a way to resolve their troubles. Along the way, they run into a lewd pool party, enter a downtrodden neighborhood, meet a bizarre deer hunter, stumble upon a KKK camp, and run into (again) Neil Patrick Harris.
I have to say that this is the first film this year that actually gave me something of a headache. If you want to see a hilarious road trip film, rent out 2000bs bRoad Trip.b Harold and Kumarbs insipid travelogue make bBoratb look like a genius. My patience wore out after 70 minutes of film. And jeers go out to the government agent that uses all sorts of racist tactics to try to track Harold and Kumar down. The stuff that he does is never funny and borders on the insulting.
Revisiting my review of the first film, I stated that if there bwere an awards category that recognized the Best Film to Watch after Midnight while Buzzed, bHarold and Kumar Go to White Castleb would win. That was then, and this is now. bH & Kb is so pedantic that it makes me feel sad that the filmmakers had no clever ideas whatsoever to give to these two fun-loving people. Perhaps it was the filmmakers who were indeed stoned. Well, thatbs not really fair. I made the choice to pay for the ticket. In actuality, maybe it was I that was stoned.
Grade: C-
S: 3 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3
L: 3 out of 3
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