Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay Review

Posted by Joseph Lee on 04.28.2008

Long live Neil Patrick Harris.



Starring:
John Cho as Harold Lee
Kal Penn as Kumar Patel
Rob Corddry as Rob Fox
Neil Patrick Harris as Neil Patrick Harris

Story: Picking up exactly where the original left off, Harold and Kumar are ready to go to Amsterdam so Harold can see his potential girlfriend Maria. However, Kumar's bong is mistaken for a bomb on the plane and soon the two become fugitives of the government after escaping Guantanamo Bay.

Trivia: Neil Patrick Harris only worked 4 days on this movie.

The original film, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle was really funny. I realize as I write this that these types of movies aren't for everyone, and if you don't like stoner comedies, you're not the target audience anyway. I thought the original was really bizarre and out there, but also really funny. It was a road trip comedy with a lot of raunchy humor, and it worked. When a sequel was announced, I was excited, but unsure if they could pull it off again. After all, the first one worked due to it's uniqueness. Could a sequel the same old stuff?

I can fortunately say that is a resounding no. Harold & Kumar 2 is every bit as funny as the original, maybe a little more so. The main source of humor seems to have switched from drugs to making fun of everyone, similar to Borat. There is not a racial group or stereotype that isn't exploited here, and this movie just doesn't care who it offends. It helps that the character who is using these stereotypes is a complete idiot. It means you're more laughing at him for being so stupid than the jokes themselves.

That isn't saying the jokes aren't funny. They are. For roughly two-thirds of the movie, I was consistently laughing at all kinds of different moments. I especially liked the call-backs to the original, such as Kumar's fantasy coming back into play, as well as Neil Patrick Harris. It's nice to see the movie cater to the fans of the original, who are sure to line up to see another adventure with "that Asian guy and that Indian guy". Some of the humor, like the first, is very bizarre and that's what makes it funny. I didn't expect to see some of it and when it happens the strange nature of it makes it funny to me.

The cast pretty well holds their own as well. John Cho was the character who had some growth in the original, this time Kal Penn gets to stretch his acting a little by turning Kumar into a more well-rounded character. This takes place in between all the drug jokes but it's there. Neil Patrick Harris returns to make fun of himself again, and even though he's only there briefly, it's worth the ride. Rob Corddry is a new cast member, and he pretty much steals the show as government idiot Rob Fox. He's a very unlikable character because of his beliefs, but he's also hilarious because of how stupid he is.

However, this movie also has some problems. The very same pitfalls the original movie falls into, hurts this one as well. I thought in the original the movie fizzled towards the end as all the jokes played out and it starts to get repetitive. This one has that problem too, as the characters once again begin to wear out their welcome. Another problem, like the first is that some of the jokes try too hard and fall flat. The reason it has the same problems as the original is because it could be seen as the same movie. Harold & Kumar have a dilemma, Harold & Kumar go on a road trip to fix that dilemma, Harold & Kumar meet wacky characters, Neil Patrick Harris shows up, and so on. It's very formulaic at times.

Even though there are some problems, Harold & Kumar 2 will please it's target audience. If that's not you, then my recommendation is not to see it. If you didn't like the original, or stoner comedies in general, chances are you're not going to like this one. I was very entertained, and recommend it to fans of these types of movies, or those willing to turn their brains off and have a good time.

The 411: Basically, if you liked the original Harold & Kumar outing, you're going to like this one. The style of humor is not for everyone, but it's sure to get some laughs, even if it does fizzle towards the end. If you like un-PC, drug-fueled humor, then this is the movie for you.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]