A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
When it comes to stoner films, Harold and Kumar have seemingly built a trilogy unmatched by any other series of pot-comedies since "Cheech & Chong." The proverbial torch has been passed, you could say, and that torch is being used to light a fully packed, festively colored Christmas bong in this, the third addition to their trilogy.
Stoners everywhere will rejoice in unison at the thrilling 3D spectacle that is "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas." Films such as "Dazed and Confused" and "Up in Smoke," while they remain cultural and cinematic landmarks, are at the distinct disadvantage of being in 2D. It's really the only next logical step for the genre to take, as far as I can tell. The film remains a stoner comedy on the surface, but at its core remains a commentary on the current state of affairs of Hollywood cinema and the awful resurgence of 3D technology. Don't get me wrong: Sophomoric humor abounds in this, but I enjoyed the nature in which the 3D imagery was used. It serves two equally important purposes: the first of which is to poke fun at the arbitrary nature of 3D films today, and the second serves simply as an added treat for every bloodshot-eyed individual in the audience.
I really enjoy the trend of vulgar holiday films that has caught on as of late. For a number of years, I was of the impression that nothing would be able to top "Bad Santa," but it's safe to say that I have a new favorite un-holiday film.
As the movie starts out, our titular heroes are on opposite paths. Harold has given up his former life altogether in exchange for a well-paying job and the life of a family man. As a part of his new-found adulthood, Harold is scrambling to impress his wife's overprotective father (played by none other than Danny Trejo). Meanwhile, Kumar is still living in a haze of smoke, having recently impregnated his girlfriend. The two run into one another by accident, and Kumar ends up ruining Harold's Christmas tree, which turns out to be his father-in-law's most prized possession. Of course, the rest of the film is dedicated to the duo trying to save Christmas for Harold. In spite of their bickering, they realize how dependent they are on one another. Even if it takes them shooting Santa out of the sky in order to realize it, nonetheless, it still stands as the only heartwarming message in the film.
Needless to say, this is far from a fun holiday family film...but it will probably end up being my favorite holiday film of the year given the bombardment of awful Christmas comedies that we as a culture are about to endure. At a time of year where cheesiness reigns supreme in the theater, I'll take Claymation penises and waffle-making robots over Adam Sandler in drag any day of the week.