Title: Harold & Kumar; Escape from Guantanamo Bay Cast: John Co, Kal Penn, Rob Corddry, Dannel Harris, Roger Bart, Neil Patrick Harris, Paula Garces Directors: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Producers: Greg Shapiro, Nathan Kahane Screenwriters: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Music: George S. Clinton Editor: Jeff Freeman Genre: Comedy Cinematography: Daryn Okada Distributor: New Line Cinema Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Running Time: 140 min.Technical Assessment: 2
Moral Assessment: 1 ½
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above
Buddies and boardmates, Harold (John Co) and Kumar (Kal Pen) are preparing to leave for Amsterdam to look for Harold’s girlfriend-to-be, Maria (Paula Garces). Trouble for them begins when Kumar refuses, at a security check-point in the airport, to allow a random search before boarding their airplane. Just as they are about to board, however, the two friends meet once Kumar’s girlfriend Vanessa (Dannel Harris) and her fiancé Colton (Eric Winter). On the plane, Kumar, unable to endure the long journey calmly, decides to take some drugs he has on him. Using the “bong” (a container) to facilitate his taking in the weed, a big commotion of fright that there is a bomb on board takes place. Harold and Kumar are arrested as terrorists and imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay . Experiencing atrocious forms of punishment, the two manage to make good their escape. There follow some unusual encounters: finding themselves in a women’s sauna, where the two escapees are challenged before they would be helped and protected; and then they are re-arrested. However, they are finally vindicated by a lawman who believed and helped them.
The movie presents two bumbling simpletons as the center of the story. The happenings and sequences are sometimes unclear. There are barely a few laughable situations. Most of the scenes are either corny or objectionable.
Harold and Kumar is filled with the issues on nudity sexual situations, the use of drugs, violence, objectionable language, etc. Harold an Indian, and Kumar, a Korean, are right away judged as terrorists, a sign of some discrimination. Migrants may be looked upon with suspicion, which instills fear and insecurity. A filthy prison condition projects the immoral acts of cops and guards towards their prisoners. This maltreatment of prisoners shows their abuse of power. The movie appears to focus on sex, suggesting it as a pleasure for men and women. Camera angles focused on naked bodies; sex as the center of their conversation; images of the inside of prostitution establishments; and when the purpose/s of showing the scenes become vague, are questionable to the intention of the movie. Using drugs is shown several times by different characters. In almost all dialogues each of the characters mentions the word “fuck” and use other objectionable words and phrases. Harold and Kumar is rated for adults, 18 years old and up; however, there are better films to watch.
