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SXSW Review: Harold & Kumar 2

by Alex Billington
March 8, 2008

US Release Date: April 25, 2008
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
MPAA: Rated R
Running Time: ~90 minutes
Directed by: Jon Hurwitz / Hayden Schlossberg
on IMDb
7/10

In this day and age, comedies seem to have a form that they all follow. The jokes are getting more and more bland and the stories worse and worse. To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything but the same old crap with Harold & Kumar 2: Escape from Guantanamo Bay. And to be honest, I enjoyed the hell out of it. It's a dumb stoner comedy to the core that never deviates from that ideal, and yet I still laughed all the way through. It may not top the first Harold & Kumar, but it is a perfect compliment to it that I think everyone who loved that one will enjoy.

In every step of the story, Harold & Kumar 2 breaks every rule and expectation. The jokes they setup are designed to make you think one thing is going to happen, when something else does. It moves quickly from one ridiculous incident to another, and travels from New Jersey to Florida to Texas all in 90 minutes of time. While it still is the pot smoker comedy that everyone loves, it has heart and a mainstream hilarity that you don't need to be stoned to enjoy. I may even be hard pressed to say that it might rank up there as one of the better comedies of the year.

I wouldn't say that the filmmaking is good, and I might even hardly say that the writing is good; instead, Harold & Kumar 2 is made up entirely of two over-the-top performances by Kal Penn and John Cho. It's these two perfectly balanced and yet ridiculously cliché characters that allow the film to succeed. And laugh you will, plenty of times, that's for certain. All I need to say at the end - the unicorn rules all!

Harold & Kumar 2 review

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Related categories: Movie Reviews, SXSW 08

Jojo

Nah it deserves more. I find the kumar dude more hilarious than steve carell+adam sandler+ben stiller+Will ferrel+jack black all put together.
Darrin

thank god for harold & kumar, m getting tired of the knocked up & superbad flicks.sorry to say alex but this flim will make No.1 at the box office and would bring back New Line Cinema.
Avelanch

I can't wait for this movie. it looks hilarious. definately one of my most anticipated movies of the year.
Joe

I love Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother and even enjoyed the first Harold and Kumar movie, but this one was a steaming pile of crap. We walked out of the SXSW premiere. Story matters, even in comedy. This movie had none. It was a LAZY attempt by the writer/director to ride on the coat tails of the first movie. And why is it that gratuitous female nudity is always sexual (and quite frankly makes the filmmakers look like sad little frat boys who can't get any), while male nudity is considered funny and is not at all sexualized in comedies like these? Grow up, people!
Gary

What a refreshing change, bottom instead of top. Kidding aside,I just saw it, and have to say it was very good. a little pulp fiction, drama and close to some tears, with adventure. Give it a B.
dustin

i think this movie was awesome i would go and see it again
Robert

Totally downright Funny...the Bottomless bit was unexpected. More from Harold & Kumar please!