Thursday, April 24, 2008

More (and more) of the same

Wednesday night offered an advanced screening of Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. While events in this movie take place immediately after the end of their first film, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, John Cho and Kal Penn have used the 4-year interim to become much bigger names. It's tough to imagine that when that film was made, these guys were pretty much nobodies with small supporting roles in teen comedies (Cho in the American Pie series, Penn in Van Wilder). And now they've got high-profile gigs in Star Trek and House. Way to go, guys.

If there's anything you liked in the first film, chances are there's more of it in the sequel. More mockery of (white) America and its authorities. More locations. More marijuana. More obnoxiousness. More sentimentality. And especially more Neil Patrick Harris.

The plot is too ridiculous to recount, but I will say that Guantanamo Bay is a very small part of the film. (I'm surprised they went with that title.) The movie is genuinely funny in places -- Rob Corddry's Homeland Security character exists solely to project his stunningly clueless stereotypes of every minority -- but, man, is it filthy. I should add "more bodily fluids" to the list.

A final complaint: after this and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, is it asking too much to see a comedy without male full frontal nudity? (In the movie, one of Harold and Kumar's college friends has organized a bottomless party.) This is not a good trend; as a viewer, I'd gladly pass up female nudity if it would guarantee sausage-free cinema.

4 comments:

pilgrimchick said...

I haven't been all that excited about this film. I'm sure it is good for a comedy interlude, and I have to admit that you're right about both actors, though-I've seen them in lots of places since the first movie. They are pretty talented actors in their own right.

Unknown said...

Again with the sausage fest?? I am really looking forward to seeing this, despite my normal disgust for this genre of comedy. I loved White Castle and when I saw it at the Five Below store I bought it for my husband for Christmas.

ZenDenizen said...

Nothing wrong with nudity (male or female) but the male portrayed in this movie was particularly gruesome.

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay 2008 said...

I would not say I was excited to see this movie, but I can say I did plan to watch it at some point. Luckily, I did not spend money on this movie and even contemplated walking out towards the end of the movie.