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This could potentially be The Year of the Best Summer Movies....Ever! The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Sex and the City, X-Files, Mamma Mia, Indiana Jones. Even in the moment of standing in line for a matinee, I had a hard time deciding which escape I wanted with my popcorn and soda. I ultimately decided on Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.
I didn't love the first one as much as the many others who helped build its cult status. But I find Kal Penn and John Cho to be charismatic actors who can bring the barest touch of pathos to the stoned out goofballs, as well as making the Grossout Dude Comedy surprisingly politically savvy. Well, relatively speaking. There's still the use of gay sexual acts as a tool to commit said grossing out, but what saves the movie in general is that gags start off obvious, then they add an unexpected twist that gets you.
But, let's be real, I was there for Neil Patrick Harris. His success as Barney in How I Met Your Mother can be traced back directly to his unexpected role in the first movie, but on network television you won't get the R-rated version: He does shrooms, talks to unicorns, acts out even more salacious over-the-top heterosexuality -- and looks really, really good in an A-frame and jeans while holding a branding iron. Just don't blink and miss it. Hint: It's the whorehouse scene.
This might be somewhat spoiler-ish for purists, but what unexpectedly impressed me is that Harold and Kumar managed to make hanging out with the President seem like a good time. I maybe even felt a little hopeful for the guy. Maybe the hippies were right: all we need is love. And a few strong hits off the pipe.
-- A. RAYMOND JOHNSON
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