A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

As a standalone christmas movie, it's pretty funny. This conclusion to the classic Harold and Kumar trilogy that began when they went to White Castle before escaping from Guantanamo Bay before finally spending Christmas in New York with friends and family. The first one was a classic while the second one was meh. The third one makes fun use of the 3d pop-up effects to comic use and it's worth watching if you own it on 3d bluray. It's not for kids as it's rated a hard R. Can't wait to see what the duo comes up with in an upcoming animated series!!!

I thought this movie was better than Guantanamo Bay, but not quite as good as White Castle. I thought the plot was decent and it had me intrigued throughout, I just wish it didn't have those ridiculous unrealistic moments like the one with the Christmas tree and the other with the ping pong ball. There were some funny moments in the movie which I enjoyed. Just like in the other two movies, the thing I didn't like about this movie is the explicit nudity and sexual content. Overall the movie is decent, but for me personally I like movies with a realistic plot even if it is a comedy movie.

To put it simply, Harold and Kumar was incredibly funny. The movie is set six years after they escape from G bay (you must ignore the fact they haven't aged). For me to say this was just another Harold and Kumar movie would be unfair. I loved the first one. Simple premise with many jokes and characters along the way. Half of what made it funny was the fact Roldy and Kumar were going through this hell just to have some fast food. Escape from G bay had funny moments but them escaping a maximum security prison holding war criminals to reach America and regain their innocence? It was a little much. Don't get me wrong I still liked it but it felt like that magic was gone with the simplicity of the first. So when I saw the third was about to come out and it was a "christmas special" I felt hopeful for a good one but not confident.

The third instalment had that simplicity again. Yes, there was new characters and the 3D was new but they all worked so perfectly. Yes certain things were dumb and even weird like the fake baby Jesus winking at me or a coked up baby running around on the ceiling but its that kind of movie! They were going through hell once again to simply find a Christmas tree. The new characters were very funny and the old jokes and characters were seen and told in a new way (unlike Hangover 2). Another new character was the use of 3D in this instalment. It was incredible, and not just the smoke and coke flying at me but characters acknowledging it and poking fun. Bottom line is its OK to be apprehensive because the second one was just alright and a comedy like this in 3D could be thought of as being corny and trying to hard but they pulled it off perfectly. Harold and Kumar is dumb fun and for what it is this is a great comedy. Just make sure you catch it in 3D! Read my other reviews at rollginreviews.blogspot.com

Harold & Kummar movies are mercifully free of hypocrisy, with no taboo left unviolated. This is not a film you take your mother to (let her see it by herself). Everyone is criticizing the 3D as gratuitous, but it was part of the humor, exaggerated like in Piranha 3D. I usually despise 3D as a pointless distraction; this was a rare occasion when it seemed to fit. Pot smoke wafting out towards the audience--what better use of 3D? How could anyone complain about gratuitous 3D given this film's other excesses? One could similarly call the clay animation sequence gratuitous, but it was brilliant! It seems to me that these H&K movies contain some serious messages on drugs, race, and other social issues rolled up with the crude humor.

"White Castle" and "Guantanamo Bay", superior to this lackluster effort, were both very funny films because these two stoners were always getting in (and out) of trouble, and running into all sorts of people. I'm sorry to say, the world "hilarity" does not apply this time around, because most of the jokes just fall flat. Just because this is a Christmas movie, and not a road trip movie, doesn't mean it can't or for that matter, shouldn't be hilarious. And even another Neil Patrick Harris cameo can't save it. A couple highlights: A musical number with Harris, and the scene (reference to "A Christmas Story") where Harold gets his penis stuck to a pole. Other than those two scenes, there's really nothing to recommend it.

** out of ****