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A Reader Reviews HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY!!
Merrick here...
I liked the first film and am looking forward to the second, even though I think our reader Stephen is probably correct in his assessment.
Here's Stephen...
Harold and Kumar shocked the world when it didn’t turn out to be the most obvious corporate whoring of a product in Hollywood history. White Castle had its very name in the title and the main characters were off to eat these supposedly delicious burgers. Yet somehow inside of this evil concept we were given a stoner duo that could join the ranks of Cheech and Chong or even Jay and Silent Bob. It even dared to squeeze in a little subversive message about race relations and the pursuit of the American dream.
When we last saw our two heroes, they had just feasted on 30 burgers and Harold was going to follow his newfound ladylove to Amsterdam. The film continues instantly from that every last moment.
After being wrongly imprisoned for being terrorists they escape from Guantanamo and make their way back to the U.S., I can imagine the writers sitting in a room locked away for hours trying to write another movie titled Harold and Kumar go to Amsterdam but for one reason or another it didn’t work or maybe it would be too much like Euro trip, who knows, all we do know is that instead they took a different route to get these two back in a car and on the run towards comedic hilarity with plenty of great moments that I won’t spoil.
Surprisingly the escape from Guantanamo Bay takes all but the first ten minutes of the film - which gives our heroes plenty of time to run from the law, smoke plenty of weed, and run into plenty of weird characters.
I’m pleased to report this sequel should please any fans of the first film. It’s consistently funny all through out. It's a pleasure to once again watch Kal Penn and John Cho play against each other with the same flare that made them such a joy to watch the first time around. Along the way, the writers have scripted quite a number of hit or miss set pieces. Some will feel a little too familiar and it seems like they are just treading a lot of the same old racial jokes such as the scary red neck in the woods gag. This is easily forgiven though when we’re given plenty of random female nudity to keep us distracted when the film slows down for the obligatory plot moments.
Richard Christy does his best to play the evil ignorant white government employee, but so much of it is forced that his best moments are few and far between. Due to popular demand, Neil Patrick Harris returns and does about everything you expect him to do. Unfortunately, a chance to take Doogie on a trip unlike any other (I’ll give you a hint it involves a great white unicorn that appears out of nowhere) is squandered.
Which brings me to my over all problem with the film. It lacks the element of surprise that made so many of the first films jokes so funny. Instead of repeating some of those best moments, they could have created a few more new ones instead.
Harold’s mission to go after Maria is all but lost and unfairly rushed in the last five minutes. These are really all just the typical problems you get with any sequel, so take them as tiny annoyances instead of big problems. They don’t make or break the film, and in the end I loved the first and really liked the second.
Stephen
Harold and Kumar shocked the world when it didn’t turn out to be the most obvious corporate whoring of a product in Hollywood history. White Castle had its very name in the title and the main characters were off to eat these supposedly delicious burgers. Yet somehow inside of this evil concept we were given a stoner duo that could join the ranks of Cheech and Chong or even Jay and Silent Bob. It even dared to squeeze in a little subversive message about race relations and the pursuit of the American dream.
When we last saw our two heroes, they had just feasted on 30 burgers and Harold was going to follow his newfound ladylove to Amsterdam. The film continues instantly from that every last moment.
After being wrongly imprisoned for being terrorists they escape from Guantanamo and make their way back to the U.S., I can imagine the writers sitting in a room locked away for hours trying to write another movie titled Harold and Kumar go to Amsterdam but for one reason or another it didn’t work or maybe it would be too much like Euro trip, who knows, all we do know is that instead they took a different route to get these two back in a car and on the run towards comedic hilarity with plenty of great moments that I won’t spoil.
Surprisingly the escape from Guantanamo Bay takes all but the first ten minutes of the film - which gives our heroes plenty of time to run from the law, smoke plenty of weed, and run into plenty of weird characters.
I’m pleased to report this sequel should please any fans of the first film. It’s consistently funny all through out. It's a pleasure to once again watch Kal Penn and John Cho play against each other with the same flare that made them such a joy to watch the first time around. Along the way, the writers have scripted quite a number of hit or miss set pieces. Some will feel a little too familiar and it seems like they are just treading a lot of the same old racial jokes such as the scary red neck in the woods gag. This is easily forgiven though when we’re given plenty of random female nudity to keep us distracted when the film slows down for the obligatory plot moments.
Richard Christy does his best to play the evil ignorant white government employee, but so much of it is forced that his best moments are few and far between. Due to popular demand, Neil Patrick Harris returns and does about everything you expect him to do. Unfortunately, a chance to take Doogie on a trip unlike any other (I’ll give you a hint it involves a great white unicorn that appears out of nowhere) is squandered.
Which brings me to my over all problem with the film. It lacks the element of surprise that made so many of the first films jokes so funny. Instead of repeating some of those best moments, they could have created a few more new ones instead.
Harold’s mission to go after Maria is all but lost and unfairly rushed in the last five minutes. These are really all just the typical problems you get with any sequel, so take them as tiny annoyances instead of big problems. They don’t make or break the film, and in the end I loved the first and really liked the second.
Stephen
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+ Expand All
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But there is no way this is on the list.
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The first one was a little gem of a movie, clever and unexpected. This will be a rehash (pun intended), and clearly the writers of this movie aren't smart enough to think of new gags. Plus can we please for fucks sake stop having the obligatory stupid white blow hard cop/government official/random republican in ever motherfucking movie.
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I'm really looking forward to this, but I don't expect much from comedies, let alone sequels. So if this is even kinda funny, I'll be happy. I was so convinced the first one would be crap that I don't think I even saw it until it was on TBS or something. But it was a hoot. So I'll definitely be seeing this one.
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from the Stern show? "How you doing? What you been up to? So how's things? But seriously...how you been?"
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...a whole gaggle of writers couldn't sit down and write a stoner movie set in Amsterdam.
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Feb 20, 2008 12:28:02 PM CST
What's that PLANT harold and kumar love smoking?
by guy who got a headache and accidentally
I forget the name of it, not tobacco.
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I love EuroTrip.
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So does this movie have an extended topless scene like the first one?
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Maybe I was wrong.
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don't knock it. the old stand by still works.
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So.. These movies are funny because two losers get stoned all the time, or because it shows how stupid people can be when all they think about is getting stoned?
Utterly pointless.. Just like Cheech and Chong, but I guess when you're stoned, you don't care about that.. Ah well... -
Nice, I was thinking of an inventive way to say PLANT! I like yours the best.
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Cause that's definitely who's in the movie.
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And even if it was, I saw this a couple weeks ago and I felt pretty much exactly the same about it as him.
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It's a "Vacation" movie with pot humor. Just a string of things going wrong with "random female nudity" splashed here and there to keep the juvenile ADD crowd in their seats. I'll be skipping this one, thanks.
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I'M excited. But maybe that's just me.
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First film surprised the hell out of me, in terms of how much I enjoyed it. And now I actually like Neil Patrick Harris, so I think I'll enjoy it a lot more.
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Love the band! Clutching at Straws in my favorite cd of theirs.
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that mines material from the original..??!! Why thats never happened before!!
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It was utter crap.
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Just asking.
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. . . it had some smart humor in it, but definitely had a lot of crap. I still can't stand how they missed the boat w/ the antagonists. When making a semi-intelligent comedy w/ an anti-racism message, feel free to make your bad guys a little better than rejects from a Mt.Dew commercial, yelling "extreme!" Not too far off the subject I hope, but the other day my mother-in-law said The Big Lebowski was just another stoner movie. I wanted to hit her w/ a fucking brick.
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And I liked the first one. I still like it. Only like. i would have rather have watched their jew friends go to krispy kreme, as that was the intended "sequel"
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it wasn't a stoner comedy. They have some weed at the beginning (that seems to have zero effect on them) and then lose their stuff, have adventures and decide (ugh) that being an investment banker and going to med school are great ideas after all. The racial aspects of the comedy were good and it was well played but hardly a proper loser film.
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But hasn't this been out for AGES?
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So do it. Not a jury in the world would convict you.
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So I"m glad they didn't go there.
Everyone thinks it will be funny and risque. Yet Deuce Bigalow and Cheech and Chong set movies there and both sucked. -
Harold and Kumar Go To Hell (and stay there)
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fucking sucked . hope this is better but i doubt it .
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i may be old and jaded, but i just dont get the appeal of these movies...of course, i didnt get american pie either
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"Harold & Kumar Go To Krystal's." Just add extra pickles & mustard to the ganja, eh?
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They should make a movie about their adventure to hotdog heaven. I forgot their names....something like Goldman and Rothstein or something...!?!
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Bad idea. "H & K Go To Krystals" would inevitably lead to part 3, "Ring Of Fire: Harold & Kumar Shit Their Asses At 4am".
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