Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

Have Fun Storming the White Castle By Michael C. Riedlinger Editor-In-Chief             When Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) came on the scene in 2004, it was like the stoner-comedy had come full circle to 1978. Gen-Xers finally had protagonists they could identify with, and they came in a multicultural, totally un-PC packaging. The film had little to say beyond showing that stereotypes of race or economic status where completely baseless. In Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, our plucky, pot-smoking heroes do more to show the ridiculousness of post 9/11 racism and still keep us rolling in the aisles.             The two decide to take a trip to Amsterdam so that Harold can profess his undying love for Maria (Paula Garcés, The Shield), the hot neighbor girl he finally kissed at the end of the first film. While at the airport, the two run into a couple they know from college, Vanessa and Colton. The two lovebirds are on their way to Texas to get married, much to Kumar’s dismay. He and Vanessa (Danneel Harris One Tree Hill) were once an item, but broke up for unspecified reasons. It is also later revealed that she was the woman who introduced him to his well-known mistress, marijuana. In fact, Kumar’s pot habit gets the real story going and ultimately gives this film its title.             While in flight, surrounded by ignorant passengers who fear him solely for his skin tone, Kumar decides to reveal that he has invented a smokeless bong. The device looks so alien that it doesn’t take long for the idiots on board to decide he is a terrorist, and it doesn’t help that “bong” and “bomb” sound surprisingly similar. Sooner than you can say “Osama”, Homeland Security has the pair in detention and decides that there must be a plot against America by North Korea and Al-Qaeda. Harold and Kumar end up in the titular location without due process, and though we laugh, the entire premise stands as an indictment of American foreign policy. Much as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart presents serious news in a lighthearted format, Harold & Kumar shows audiences the darker side of American foreign and domestic policies without ever preaching at us. This ingenious and proven technique carries on throughout the film, and so do the laughs.

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            After escaping to Miami, the duo borrow a friend’s car and road trip to Texas in search of Vanessa and Colton (Eric Winter, Days of our Lives. Colton’s father works for President George W. Bush, so they are hoping he can help clear their names. To get there, Harold and Kumar must deal with pot-smoking rednecks, inexcusably ignorant federal agents, and the ever-so-drugged-out Neil Patrick Harris. Following a murderous encounter at a brothel involving the Doogie Howser, M.D. star, our heroes finally make it to Colton’s estate, only to be predictably betrayed and sent back to Cuba. Kumar hasn’t won the girl back yet, so of course the story can’t be over!             Some of the love scenes are surprisingly touching and when President Bush makes an appearance (thanks to look-alike James Adomian), the film does more work to make the lame-duck President likeable than eight years of political marketing could have hoped to. In the end, the message of Harold & Kumar is clearly that we should stay true to ourselves. The drug humor aside, this is actually a more serious film than its predecessor is. As far as sequels go, this iteration out performs the original both socially and politically. Even if you despise the drug culture gags, see the movie anyway. The mix of politically conscious humor with typical buffoonery would make Cheech and Chong proud, but it will also keep you entertained for a solid 102 minutes.