Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay

Reviewed by:
Eric Alt

Directed by: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

The Skinny: Picking up exactly where the first movie left off, stoner buds Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) are digesting White Castle and preparing to fly off to Amsterdam in pursuit of Harold's crush, Maria. Kumar's decision to bring a "smokeless bong" on the plane, however, gets the pair flagged as terrorists and promptly sent to Guantanamo Bay.

The Good: There are a few chuckles here and there, and plenty of fetching women on display (especially cutie Danneel Harris, who appears as Kumar's ex-girlfriend), but unfortunately the good gets outweighed by…

The Bad: The first movie worked because the plot was simple and the two leads' ethnicities were an afterthought. So what do we get for a sequel? A convoluted plot that's entirely about race. Forgivable, if it were funnier. But making a "lovable" George W. Bush (who jokes about U.S. soldiers forcing detainees to suck a "cock-meat sandwich") the film's sort-of hero only compounded this quagmire. Don't get political guys, it's a no-win situation. Stick to poop jokes.

Do Over? Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam would have been a better sequel. And having Kumar say their trip would have been "like Eurotrip, only it's not going to suck" rubs in just how badly this movie goes off course.

Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? Rent it, if only to appreciate the nudity that TNT won't give you. But you might want to prepare some "refreshments" beforehand.