The first Harold and Kumar wasn't a financial hit on its initial release, but became somewhat of a cult-classic on DVD. Yes, stoner comedies are far too many and often unfunny, but Harold and Kumar succeeded where most failed. The jokes were fresh and original, there was barely even a plot (which was part of the appeal) and it starred two ethnic minorities, which is a rarity for film these days. It's no wonder that a sequel has been released; the only surprise is how much this new Harold and Kumar film misses the mark.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay picks up immediately after the predecessors end, with the two stoner buddies heading on a plane to Amsterdam. However, Kumar's bong is mistaken for an explosive mid-flight and the two buddies are arrested under suspicion of being terrorists. Despite their best efforts, the duo are sent to Guantanamo Bay, where they end up breaking out and going on a road-trip of sorts across America, evading the authorities.
I don't mind crude humor in comedies. Vulgarity can be funny in certain jokes. However, when the joke is the vulgarity itself, well, that's not funny. Penises, semen, flatulence, urine and excrement can be funny in jokes, but in itself are not funny. There's nothing comical about Kumar masturbating and spraying semen over himself, nor is there anything funny about Kumar's friend revealing his pubic hair entrenched penis. This is below low-brow humor; it's the type of jokes that a 12-year old who just hit puberty would come up with if asked to write a movie. In the first Harold and Kumar, there were plenty of funny jokes and almost none of them were vulgar. In this installment, there's lots of vulgarity, but there aren't even many jokes. Just crudeness for the sake of being crude.
The rest of the jokes pretty much consist of the antagonist making stereotypes about African-Americans, Arabs and Jewish people. Once again, I don't mind jokes involving stereotypes, but simply having a man suggest Jewish people can't resist picking up pennies or blacks love grape soda isn't funny. It's the type of humor that might make a kid below the age of 10 laugh, but no one any older, unless they are indeed stoned. There's no substance to it. There's nothing remotely clever about it or even funny in a stupid way, just stereotypes acted out on the big screen. The movie is painfully unfunny, which is a shame because there's some decent talent behind it. John Cho has a certain charm to him as Harold and Kal Penn, although slightly annoying, has proved himself funny in the previous installment. You get the feeling that with better writing, the duo really could have delivered a hilarious film.
But even the films complete ineptitude in the laughs department isn't its biggest fault. The most aggravating thing about Harold and Kumar 2 is how this low-brow, schlocky comedy tries to make it appear as if there's some political message behind it or it had anything important to say. It seems to have worked, because it currently holds a 54% at Rottentomatoes (meaning more than half of critics liked it) and most of these positive reviews mention the political undertones. Simply put, this movie has nothing to say. Sure, George Bush is in it. That doesn't mean it has anything thoughtful to say about the Bush administration. He smokes pot and acts stupid. If there is any political message behind the film, it's nothing any deeper than Bush is stupid.
And frankly, that pisses me off. Not because I like Bush (to the contrary actually), but because the movie takes no risks. Bush-jokes have become so common and so over-done. This movie bills itself as offensive. Making fun of George Bush is possibly the least offensive thing you could do these days. Everyone has done it. Same goes for implying that America is racist. If there is something offensive about Harold and Kumar 2, it's that it plays it safe. There's nothing remotely risky about any of it. Why not take a different slant and say that the American Government really isn't racist? That minorities are overly sensitive about issues such as searching people at customs? How about saying that often stereotypes can be true, and that if a 6-foot tall, African-American man dressed like a gangster and holding a lead pipe comes at you during the night, he is probably trouble and not a good Samaritan trying to help you (which happens in the movie by the way)? It's not that the film goes contrary to my point of view. It's that it tries to appear offensive and politically incorrect, when really it isn't any more offensive than an Ashton Kutcher rom-com.
That's what really sinks Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Not that it isn't funny, but that it has nothing to say, and doesn't take risks. The reason that South Park can be appreciated, even when certain episodes are unfunny, is because the creators aren't afraid to voice their minds. They go against the grain, often against my own opinions, as well as the majority of the publics, and you have to respect them for that. All that can be said for Harold and Kumar 2 is that the creators try to be as appealing and un-PC as possible, while appearing they're not.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay picks up immediately after the predecessors end, with the two stoner buddies heading on a plane to Amsterdam. However, Kumar's bong is mistaken for an explosive mid-flight and the two buddies are arrested under suspicion of being terrorists. Despite their best efforts, the duo are sent to Guantanamo Bay, where they end up breaking out and going on a road-trip of sorts across America, evading the authorities.
I don't mind crude humor in comedies. Vulgarity can be funny in certain jokes. However, when the joke is the vulgarity itself, well, that's not funny. Penises, semen, flatulence, urine and excrement can be funny in jokes, but in itself are not funny. There's nothing comical about Kumar masturbating and spraying semen over himself, nor is there anything funny about Kumar's friend revealing his pubic hair entrenched penis. This is below low-brow humor; it's the type of jokes that a 12-year old who just hit puberty would come up with if asked to write a movie. In the first Harold and Kumar, there were plenty of funny jokes and almost none of them were vulgar. In this installment, there's lots of vulgarity, but there aren't even many jokes. Just crudeness for the sake of being crude.
The rest of the jokes pretty much consist of the antagonist making stereotypes about African-Americans, Arabs and Jewish people. Once again, I don't mind jokes involving stereotypes, but simply having a man suggest Jewish people can't resist picking up pennies or blacks love grape soda isn't funny. It's the type of humor that might make a kid below the age of 10 laugh, but no one any older, unless they are indeed stoned. There's no substance to it. There's nothing remotely clever about it or even funny in a stupid way, just stereotypes acted out on the big screen. The movie is painfully unfunny, which is a shame because there's some decent talent behind it. John Cho has a certain charm to him as Harold and Kal Penn, although slightly annoying, has proved himself funny in the previous installment. You get the feeling that with better writing, the duo really could have delivered a hilarious film.
But even the films complete ineptitude in the laughs department isn't its biggest fault. The most aggravating thing about Harold and Kumar 2 is how this low-brow, schlocky comedy tries to make it appear as if there's some political message behind it or it had anything important to say. It seems to have worked, because it currently holds a 54% at Rottentomatoes (meaning more than half of critics liked it) and most of these positive reviews mention the political undertones. Simply put, this movie has nothing to say. Sure, George Bush is in it. That doesn't mean it has anything thoughtful to say about the Bush administration. He smokes pot and acts stupid. If there is any political message behind the film, it's nothing any deeper than Bush is stupid.
And frankly, that pisses me off. Not because I like Bush (to the contrary actually), but because the movie takes no risks. Bush-jokes have become so common and so over-done. This movie bills itself as offensive. Making fun of George Bush is possibly the least offensive thing you could do these days. Everyone has done it. Same goes for implying that America is racist. If there is something offensive about Harold and Kumar 2, it's that it plays it safe. There's nothing remotely risky about any of it. Why not take a different slant and say that the American Government really isn't racist? That minorities are overly sensitive about issues such as searching people at customs? How about saying that often stereotypes can be true, and that if a 6-foot tall, African-American man dressed like a gangster and holding a lead pipe comes at you during the night, he is probably trouble and not a good Samaritan trying to help you (which happens in the movie by the way)? It's not that the film goes contrary to my point of view. It's that it tries to appear offensive and politically incorrect, when really it isn't any more offensive than an Ashton Kutcher rom-com.
That's what really sinks Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Not that it isn't funny, but that it has nothing to say, and doesn't take risks. The reason that South Park can be appreciated, even when certain episodes are unfunny, is because the creators aren't afraid to voice their minds. They go against the grain, often against my own opinions, as well as the majority of the publics, and you have to respect them for that. All that can be said for Harold and Kumar 2 is that the creators try to be as appealing and un-PC as possible, while appearing they're not.