25 April 2008 10:35 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
The stoner characters Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn), having left White Castle, now escape from Guantánamo Bay, but many critics suggest that whatever political punch the movie might have landed is weakened by a sophomoric, over-the-top script. Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News puts it this way: "The occasionally snicker-worthy Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantánamo Bay provides some of what fans want from its stoner heroes, but given the high-concept title, it's a big fat missed opportunity." Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune says that through most of the film, "you find yourself smiling at some of the bits, wincing through many, many others." Several critics suggest that the expected political payoff never comes off. "The movie goes after easy targets and goes soft on the harder issues," complains Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe. On the other hand, Liam Lacey in the Toronto Globe and Mail concludes: "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantánamo Bay is no political tract, but it can be surprisingly bold. (Did we actually see a Homeland Security official wipe his backside with a page from the Bill of Rights?) The main satiric point is indirect: Harold and Kumar are so obviously harmless, self-involved American dudes, the authorities' overreaction seems contemptible. In fact, Cho and Penn may do too good a job. They're so likable that you really wish they could find a better-scripted movie that cut back on the lazy scatology, sex and dope jokes."
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