The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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‘Harold and Kumar’ movie chronicles ridiculous escape

America’s dimwitted duo are back. Only this time they aren’t in search of White Castle’s delicious burgers – this time around, they find themselves incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, the United States military prison for potential terrorists, and eventually as escaped fugitives who look to get a “lift” from the law.

John Cho and Kal Penn return in “Harold ‘ Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.” Written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, the same guys who brought us along their first adventures in “Harold ‘ Kumar Go to White Castle,” the two stoners picked up right where they left off, elevated and heading to Amsterdam so Harold (John Cho) can pursue his crush, Maria (Paula Garces), who went to Amsterdam to model.

As a responsible and forthright writer, I am obligated to inform audiences unfamiliar with the original Harold ‘ Kumar movie that the storyline revolves around these two knuckleheads smoking “marywanna,” as Hunter S. Thompson referred it. I also want to add that we all consider the negative effects of stereotypes and ignore them as a whole.

The two friend’s wild and sporadic journey begins on an airplane on its way to Amsterdam. Impatient and unwilling to wait, Kumar (Kal Penn) decides to smoke some “marywanna” in the bathroom using his highly sophisticated bong. However, when the plane hits some turbulence and Kumar is ejected from the bathroom holding the bong, passengers panic as they see the dark skinned minority holding what looked like a bomb, all while Kumar repeatedly told them that it was a “bong”.

After being restrained on the plane, Harold and Kumar find themselves being interrogated by homeland security officers, who believe that the two are terrorists and send them off to Guantanamo Bay.

Rob Corddry, a regular on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” plays Ron Fox, the insidious, racist and diluted Deputy Chief of Homeland Security, who seeks out the two fugitives after discovering their escape.

The duo’s wild escape brings them back to the states, where they seek refuge from police authorities. Along their journey across the South, where they hope to meet with their friend Colton (Eric Winter), in hopes of redeeming their innocence, Harold and Kumar’s crazy and intense confrontations include a run-in with old time friend Neil Patrick Harris.

The dialog between the two is hilarious. The constant nagging, insults and arbitrary anecdotes will have audiences laughing to exhaustion. The script is well written and John Cho, Kal Penn and Ron Fox, all who have played roles in comedies, are perfect for their roles.

You remember John Cho from the infamous “American Pie” movies, best known for conceptualizing “MILF,” a quirky salute to aged beauty and the all out freaky fun of it all. Kal Penn is best known for his roles in both “Van Wilder” movies, and some may remember him as the “wankster” wannabe, who pulled a bazooka on all of the gangsters in Compton, from B-Rad’s crew in “Malibu’s Most Wanted”.

Penn is currently staring on the Fox program “House,” as a young doctor. Ron Fox is better known as the very psychotic, but serious political commentator on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” alongside Ed Helms, who was the interpreter for Harold and Kumar’s parents. A lot of the dialog was improvised by the actors who did a superb job of filtrating constant F-bombs and street slang.

The thing I loved most about this movie was its satirical humor and ability to desensitize stereotypes by countering the stigmas. The ridiculous satirical portrayals focused a lot of the issues around the post 9/11 era, and the tribulations and controversies that followed that tragic day. Amidst the comedy, the action and the overindulgence, an important message to understand when watching this movie is that stereotypes are manifested implications that veer to damage credibility and characterize specific groups of people.

The public’s paranoia and misconceptions are essential to the movie’s uniqueness, and the writer’s intent to shed light upon the issues are prevalent throughout the movie.

Some of the content may be offensive to viewers, but since the writers intentionally attacked people all across the spectrum, you soon forget how incredibly stupid and ridiculous the jokes are and enjoy the rest of the movie.

Not only is this production hysterical, it holds political and social significance for viewers to contemplate. The movie counters the obscure mainstream view with the use of extreme satire, unorthodox trends, and the freedom to declare atypical motives, so free your minds and watch “Harold ‘ Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”

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