A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

I think part of the reason the first movie worked so well is because going to White Castle is, relatively, a very simple, ordinary trip. But when it's Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) it becomes a very wild adventure. I didn't enjoy the second one as much because escaping from Guantanamo Bay wouldn't be an easy task for anybody. For this third movie, Harold and Kumar are back to turn a routine errand into a hair-raising, hazardous experience. Harold has to decorate a Christmas tree.

But when Kumar comes over and accidentally burns down the tree, they then have to find a new one, steal it from a drug-lord gangster thug, try to not rape his daughter, crash a musical production of The Nutcracker, and limit the number of people they shoot and drug (to only Santa Claus and a baby).

The 3D is of course a gimmick. They know that; we know that. It involves joints coming out of the screen and eggs, blood, and guts. It is as juvenile and pointless as you can get. But that is the point.

The jokes are of course offensive. But, again, that's the point. It makes it okay when the out-and-proud Neil Patrick Harris makes gay jokes, or when Cho and Penn make racial jokes.

I enjoyed the journey that they take in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas". Every time the baby found a new drug to imbibe, or Kumar smoked another joint, I laughed. It's the type of humour that has made the franchise so successful.

If you liked the first two Harold & Kumar movies then you will likely like this one. If you have never seen a Harold & Kumar movie they are implausible story line, very irreverent, even crass, comedies that always break taboos.

This movie's story line is again unlikely and at times totally ridiculous, it's a total cut up comedy. You get the sense that the actors were having fun while they were filming. I laughed (and moaned) throughout the entire movie which I think is kind of the benchmark for this genre.

A lot of the humor uses or pokes fun at the 3D effects so see it in 3D if you can, it's a real treat, the effects are great. There was enough pot smoke and coke blown in you face that you could almost get high.

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.

"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 ****

Morally wrong on soo many levels and unnecessarily filmed in 3D but that somehow managed to work pretty well for the most part but this film is so much fun and hysterically funny that you will have a blast. It's great to see all of these lively and wacky characters come back to the big screen that it should be a every year tradition because their company never gets old and it will have to be one of the best stoner comedies ever as well as Christmas comedy ever next to Christmas Vacation. The thing I like about these movies are that the jokes are relevant, ballsy and unapologetic kind of like Family Guy and they are to me always consistent with making me laugh because of the outrageousness that I just can't get enough of this series, they are on a roll! Overall this is a treat for only fans of the series because if you were offended by them before this one won't change your mind, you will love it or you will hate it, I for one loved it!!!! Bring on more Harold & Kumar!!! Recommended!