Synopsis: Following years of growing apart, Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) have replaced each other with new friends and are preparing for their respective Yuletide celebrations. But when a mysterious package mistakenly arrives at Kumar’s door on Christmas Eve, his attempt to redirect it to Harold’s house ends with the “high grade” contents-and Harold’s father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree-going up in smoke. With his in-laws out of the house for the day, Harold decides to cover his tracks, rather than come clean. Reluctantly embarking on another ill-advised journey with Kumar, through New York City, their search for the perfect replacement tree takes them through party heaven-and almost blows Christmas Eve sky high.
Release Date: November 4, 2011 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Comedy,
Film Review
Production
It has been quite a few years since we last saw Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn). We’ve watched them try and get to White Castle, escape Guantanamo and even wind up at a whore house in Texas with Neil Patrick Harris. This time around life is a bit different for the boys as they are no longer roommates, or even friends really. Harold is a married man working at a corporate Wall Street job where picketers throw eggs at the employees. Kumar was kicked out of medical school and is now, well, you know–Kumar smokes weed all day. Harold and Kumar have lost their way as best friends, and a special package left at the door of Kumar’s apartment for Harold will soon bring the two of them back together. What will keep them together is a Christmas tree catching on fire and the need to save Christmas for fear of the pain Harold’s father-in-law (played by Danny Trejo, naturally) will cause him. As the title says, this movie is all about Harold and Kumar and Christmas, plus 3D–and you have to see it in 3D.
The quest for a replacement Christmas tree is undertaken by Harold and Kumar but they have three others along for the ride as well. Harold’s new best suburban dad friend, Todd (Tom Lennon), Todd’s toddler daughter, and Kumar’s new best friend Adrian (Amir Blumenfeld). The misadventures that follow begin with the inevitable from Kumar, the lighting of a joint in Todd’s car, with his daughter in the back seat. Oh, but that is only the beginning. There are Russian Mafia in store for them all, cocaine, ecstacy, an angry virgin hell-bent on losing her virginity, near-fatal injuries to Santa Claus, an unfortunate penis incident, and Neil Patrick Harris admitting he is not in fact a gay man. There is of course more detail to each of these plot points, as well as more of them in the film too, but who really cares about the a to b to c of a movie with Harold and Kumar? You want the laughs, the ridiculousness, and the insanity that comes along with spending time with the two of them. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas will give you everything you dreamed of from the pair on their third outing. Christmas comes early for the stoner-comedy loving viewers of the world, may you enjoy it to the fullest.
Special Effects
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas–note the 3D is included in the title of the film and not as an addition to the ending where it can easily be taken off. This is a 3D movie, and it should be viewed in 3D. Like the horror movies of times past, where 3D was used for effect, and to make people jump out of their seats or even laugh, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas does the same for the comedy genre. This is a 3D exploitative film, where every use of 3D is done to the fullest extent and completely on purpose. It is refreshing to actually see a movie use 3D the way 3D was meant to be used. The smoke of the joint floats out onto the viewer, where you feel you can almost touch it, or inhale it yourself. A bag of cocaine explodes in the air and suddenly it is snowing in your seat–a White Christmas indeed. The entire movie is full of 3D goodness that adds to the comedic effect it already has on the viewer. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas‘s 3D effects hit the mark, even when they are not the most stylish or well-rendered on screen. Santa’s sleigh scenes could have definitely used some more work on the computer but in reality nothing ever looks perfectly “clear” in the world of Harold and Kumar so who cares. This is 3D for those of you who know what 3D is really about…you want to have an egg come flying straight at your head, and you will.
Chemistry
Harold and Kumar, from the first movie to now their third, remain one of the great stoner comedy duos. Harold will always be a little uptight, and Kumar a tad bit too immature for his age. Together they make the perfect odd couple, who have one thing in common…they both like to smoke weed. Now in their older years they are a little more tame, the weed smoking does not happen as often, but it does not make the comedy any less over-the-top funny or their chemistry together at all weaker. Throw in Neil Patrick Harris as himself, NPH, and the trio delivers on the laughs. They even manage some sentiment as well that is as believable as two men tied to a metal pole in the middle of winter in the snow can manage. With A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas you can bet on wanting to see this duo, plus their trusty third-wheel NPH, show up again.
Comedy Factor
In order to avoid giving away the multitude of jokes, gags, pop-culture references, and non-pc dialogue in A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas it seems only reasonable to just list out some general things that may be used in the film. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is not a reasonable film, and the humor is far from anything you can describe. Everything is overblown and out-of-control. The drugged up baby you saw in the trailer is nothing compared to what happens in the film with her. The 3D generates a wealth of laughs when combined with the physical comedy. Harold and Kumar both still have their sarcastic and inappropriate wit. Kumar will never say the right things at the right time, and Harold will always find himself in some sort of predicament that leads to laughter. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is comedy of the lowest kind, and it is hilarious. NPH only makes it all the more great, as does the newest addition, The Waffle Bot–you will want one, even if you don’t like waffles (but don’t let him hear you say that).
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Todd Strauss-Schulson
- Producer(s): Jon HurwitzHayden Schlossberg
- Screenwriter(s): Kal Penn (Kumar)John Cho (Harold)Neil Patrick Harris (NPH)
- Story: Isabella Gielniak (Caren)
- Cast: Bobby Lee (Kenneth Park)Tom Lennon (Todd)Danny Trejo (Mr. Perez) Eric KissackMichael BarrettRusty Smith
- Editor(s):
- Cinematographer: William Ross
- Production Designer(s):
- Costume Designer:
- Casting Director(s):
- Music Score:
- Music Performed By:
- Country Of Origin: USA