Best friends Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) are heading on the plane to Amsterdam to surprise the former’s girlfriend with a visit during her trip. Unfortunately, thanks to a badly botched bong hit in the bathroom the two are mistakenly taken for terrorists sending the passengers into chaos and the flight back to the mainland to get rid of the now forcefully arrested passengers.

Kal Penn, James Adomian and John Cho in New Line Cinemas' Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

It doesn’t take long before the two are unceremoniously shipped to Guantanamo Bay for interrogation, but before they can sample the local below-the-belt cuisine the pair manage to escape hightailing it back to the States to try and clear their names. With the Feds on their trail and Neil Patrick Harris instead of Jesus taking the wheel, Harold and Kumar head cross-country to Texas in hopes ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris) can help them out of this mess and get them back on the plane to Amsterdam like they belong.

I never saw Harold & Kumar go to White Castle, so I can’t exactly say I was eagerly anticipating the follow up Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. After watching this sequel, I’m trying to understand what all the fuss is about and why I missed out by not taking in the pair’s original adventure. But then, I never understood the fascination with Cheech and Chong, either, the whole marijuana genre of comedy not exactly my usual cup of tea.

All of which probably makes me the wrong person to review this particular film. Be that as it may, what I will say is that both Cho and Penn are likable enough performers more than willing to throw themselves into whatever sort of carnage and shenanigans returning writers (and first-time directors) Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg choose to throw their way. I also liked the fact the picture is completely unapologetic about its political incorrectness, unafraid to take on any and all taboos most features wouldn’t touch with a 310-foot pole.

None of which means I got what the point of any of it was. The whole thing plays like nothing more than a series of rather lame “Mad TV” or “SNL” skits taken to the R-rated nth degree. It’s puerile in the extreme, and for those who think a night watching a Porky’s marathon or that an all-night “Girls Gone Wild” broadcast would be cause for celebration then this just might be the movie for you.

For the rest of us, however, the further adventures of Harold and Kumar might just be too much to bear. I sat in the theater more than a bit dumfounded as to why so many people sitting around me couldn’t stop laughing, none of what was taking place doing a single darn thing to tickle any last part of my personal funny bone.

Well, that’s not entirely true. The aforementioned Harris (playing himself) has a wildly amoral blast sending up his own persona, a mushroom-fueled traffic stop freak-out a pretty darn hysterical mid-movie winner. Even better is a third act trip to a particular Crawford, Texas ranch that had me laughing so hard I even had to wipe my eyes with a tissue, the individual our two heroes stumble upon far more human (and even endearing) here then he even remotely appears to be in real life. 

The problem is, moments like these only underscore just how weak and tiresome the rest of the picture is. Hurwitz and Schlossberg keep things at almost a catatonic speed, dragging this particular adventure out way past my particular breaking point. Still, I’m pretty sure I’m not the audience these two directors are aiming for, and while Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay doesn’t work for me fans of the original will probably have a magnificent time, just don’t expect me to understand why.

Film Rating: êê  (out of 4)

Additional Links:

-  Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay Theatrical Trailer