Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle | ||||
Danny Leiner John Cho, Kal Penn, Anthony Anderson, Ethan Embry, Paula Garcés, Neil Patrick Harris, Jamie Kennedy, David Krumholtz, Bobby Lee, Christopher Meloni, Ryan Reynolds, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Fred Willard 2004 |
Early on, it becomes obvious that "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," from director Danny Leiner ("Dude, Where's My Car?"), is not just another stoner buddy comedy about two idiots trying to get high, get laid and get over on authority. Yes, its goofy protagonists puff weed, chase babes and go up against The Man. In fact, they smoke so much pot that they decide there's only one way to sate their munchies: a banquet of burgers and fries from White Castle. This requires a road trip through the wilds of New Jersey, leading to the usual madcap mayhem replete with sex, drug and gross-out humor. But there are significant differences from the standard, vulgar youth-sploitation film. For one thing, this is funnier than the norm. Then, there's the ethnicity of the buddies. Harold (John Cho) is a Korean-American working at a New York investment-banking firm; Kumar (Kal Penn) is an Indian-American med school candidate. These roommates are neither intrinsically dumb guys, nor are they stereotypes, even though they're regularly hounded by stupid, bigoted Middle Americans. Harold and Kumar are stoned and out of control throughout the film, yet it's as much about cultural assimilation, career aspirations, and debunking prejudices as it is about debauchery. Watch for insane cameos from Fred Willard as an academic, Christopher Meloni as a grotesque hick and Neil Patrick Harris as Neil Patrick Harris. | |||
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