Hey there Beetleheads! Now that Halloween has finally ended, I think it's about time for me to start to get in the yuletide spirit and what better way to celebrate the holidays than with some of the green stuff.
In A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas we meet back up with our favorite duo six years after Guantanamo Bay. Harold and Kumar have parted ways and now Harold is married to the very hot Maria and is in a panic trying to impress her hardcore dad during the holidays (played by Danny "Machete" Trejo) and Kumar is stuck at a dead end with his life as he only has the energy to stay home and get high. Fate would appear to have greater plans for our duo though. When a mysterious package arrives at Kumar's door addressed to Harold, Kumar goes to deliver it to him and both men accidentally burn down Machete's prized Christmas tree. Suddenly the race is on to find a replacement tree before the night ends, and of course things don't go exactly as planned creating one helluva crazy christmas night.
Harold and Kumar's 4th theatrical outing is the most ambitious and wild of them all, taking stabs at religion, the holidays, and even 3D (there are quite a few jokes about 3D in the film)! The film is surprisingly clever and can be quite subtle with how it takes on all the new material here. From Kal Penn's new real life job at The White House, to NPH's sexuality, to classic holiday claymation cartoons, to minorities, to even JESUS, nothing is safe in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas and that I love that. You never know what they're going to take a stab at next.
Not to mention the 3D is some of the best I've seen. Most films these days focus on the depth aspect of 3D, not Harold and Kumar. This film says "SCREW DEPTH, people want things flying out at them!" and they deliver this in droves. From pot smoke, to christmas trees, to snow, to ping pong balls, to eggs, many things will fly out of the screen and seem to be right in front of your nose. Not many films can achieve this, but Harold and Kumar does it with ease.
As always, NPH steals every scene he's in from an impressive Christmas 3D spectacle to a hilarious lengthy scene in his dressing room in which we learn the truth about NPH's sexuality. He comes across as a bigger asshole than in the other films here, but is still all the more loveable, I just wish there were more of him here. I guess it just goes to show that you can't keep this guy down.
Despite all the hilarity and drug consuming to be found here, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas manages to feel like a real Christmas film. There are strong themes about family and friendship to be found here, and there's quite a bit of heart that lie under the crazed proceedings, perhaps that's why this Harold and Kumar film manages to stand tall above the others. Don't be surprised if you walk out of the theater humming a Christmas tune.
A very Harold and Kumar Christmas is easily the best film in the series so far (It's also one of the most meta films you will ever find). It's exceedingly clever, subtle (at times), hilarious, smart, and naughty. It knows who it's target audience is and goes about coming up with ways to keep them thoroughly entertained. If you don't like stoner comedy or marijuana being heavily consumed in a holiday film then this film is definitely not for you. However, if you get a kick out of a toddler ingesting three different illegal substances in one night and tripping her little head off or the awesomeness of an ass-kicking waffle-bot that falls in love with kumar then I can safely say that this is very much your film. Harold and kumar may take a bite out of some of our beloved holiday traditions, but the proceedings are done in a light-hearted, fun way and manage to never come across as mean spirited ( A miracle!). It's one of the best holiday films to come out in recent years, and that's saying a lot. All in all, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas is a fun way to start out the holiday season.
4.5/5 Stars
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