The eagerly awaited and crudely funny Harold and Kumar sequel is amiable, but it’s also nowhere near as fresh or funny a movie as the original.  The law of diminishing returns applies to Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.  It feels mostly like a retread of the first film, with more overtly political jokes, while the once-fresh racial humor is very hit and miss here.

Our favorite stoners get into trouble on their flight to Amsterdam and wind up on the run from the Department of Homeland Security (led by the very funny, moronic lead agent played by Rob Corddry, from the Daily Show) after being mistaken for terrorists.  After a somewhat slow start, the film hits a nice groove and becomes a “greatest hits” package of funny bits from the original.  There’s the hick with the hot wife and a high on shrooms NPH (Neil Patrick Harris, reprising his role from the original as himself and taking nasty delight in destroying his once-wholesome Doogie Howser persona) to steal scenes along the way.  Kal Penn and John Cho are as likable as ever and Danneel Harris (from One Tree Hill) plays the standard hot but sweet girl.   This time its Kumar who is trying to win her affection, their flashback scene to how they met in college is one of the highlights of the film.  Kumar also has to prevent her from marrying a smarmy and well-connected government douchebag.

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is sporadically funny but slapdash and nowhere near as good as the original.  I am happy to report that you don’t have to be a stoner to find the film funny, but one wishes that the film was as fresh as the original movie, but any film that has the guts to spoof conservative America’s idiotic post 9/11 “war on terror” is automatically worth a trip to the multiplex.

Film Grade:  B-

• Tweet