Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - Review

                         

Before we kick this off, a word of warning: offensive (to some) material ahead.

A little secret: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is one of my favorite comedy films of all time. I just plain laughed my ass off.

Not so much with the sequel, Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay.  While on their way to Amsterdam Kumar decides to light up a bong on the plane and the pair, mistaken for terrorists lighting a bomb, are tossed in Gitmo. They promptly escape and start a cross-country odyssey to clear their names and ruin Kumar's ex's wedding.

On the way they run into a 'bottomless' party, the KKK, an inbred cyclops child, a unicorn, George W Bush, and of course, Neil Patrick Harris.

Most of the movie is just a rehash (no pun intended) of the first film and so the jokes seem played out. It's not difficult to watch but I don't remember laughing at many parts -with the exception of the Neil Patrick Harris scenes.

NPH plays a heterosexual drug addicted prostitute loving version of himself. He does shrooms. He drinks and drives. He waxes poetic about his love child. He frequents whorehouses. He sees mythical animals. And he's funny as hell.

Neil Patrick Harris: I have a lost love story of my own.
Kumar Patel: Oh yeah?
Neil Patrick Harris: I'll never forget her. Her name was Tashonda. She's Whoopi Goldberg's stand-in. Her skin was so soft, her lips were so sweet. She had these tiny little Hershey kisses --s that you just wanted to -- on all night long. Anyway, last day of shooting I told her. I said "T-Bird, we're gonna have to break up".
Kumar Patel: Why'd you do that?
Neil Patrick Harris: I didn't think I could take on that kind of responsibility. What a big mistake!
[slaps himself in the face]
Neil Patrick Harris: The point is boys, even though I loved having sex with some hot random shrooms, a day hasn't gone by where I haven't thought of Tashonda.

* * *
Neil Patrick Harris: Let me be clear. There is nothing on the planet that I love more than a hot, new [redacted].
Kumar Patel: Sure.
Neil Patrick Harris: Nothing. What does the P.H. Stands for in N.P.H?
Harold Lee: Patrick Harris.
Neil Patrick Harris: No, common mistake. [redacted] handler.

Note: at this point I damn near peed myself

Without question this is a vulgar, childish movie. I giggled at the moronic menage a trois between Kumar, his girlfriend, and the woman-sized bag of marijuana. I found humor in lines like  "Had I known that the monkey had AIDS I never would have done that." And I'll no doubt see H&K 3 when it inevitably comes out.

Still, all in all a big dissapointment.

2.5 out of 4, 60 out of 100. I assume you can add 10 to 15 points to my totals  if you're stoned, drunk, or very tired.