“Greetings! Been a while, I know. Been busy with Children of Eden. Skipped write ups on Footloose, Paranormal Activity 3, Puncture, and Margin Call in favor of sleep or unwind time. Right now, I’m on some of my last hours of freedom before we hit prod week.
Why did Harold and Kumar warrant some of the precious little me time I have right now? Because I \m/ love those boys. That’s why. I remember not expecting much from the first Harold and Kumar when it came out way back when. But MIT’s Lecture Series Committee (affectionately known to us MIT-ers as LSC) had set up a free sneak preview of the film before its release. Everybody went to these. I mean c’mon, free movie. You’re not picky. With the full house crowd and the uncomfortable seats the movie was a hit (see what I did there)?
Because of this franchise I’ve totally fallen in love with Kal Pen and his Kumar. I think a big part of that reason is that I’m unequivocally and without a doubt Harold. I’m the one who worries, who has to plan, who does everything they’re told, and I sometimes need that person to help me let loose and have fun. I’ve always have a soft spot for the loser with the heart of gold and I can’t help but melt for him. The fact that the boy is quite pretty doesn’t hurt either.
The other thing I love about Harold and Kumar is a bit more fundamental, and that’s the humor. It’s not your typical frat boy jokes stoner comedy (although there is that element to it). It’s not something that’s only a laugh if you’re under the influence of some substance or other (although that’s always recommended). It’s clever, and thought thru. I mean, c’mon, the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern parallel with Rosenberg and Goldstein alone is worth major scriptwriting points. I also appreciate the fact that Harold and Kumar are equal opportunity offenders. Personally, I \m/ love offensive humor. I like my comedies bold and brash, mostly because they catch me off guard. I’m not gonna laugh at something I see coming from a mile away. With each movie in the franchise, they’ve added even more stereotypes to make fun of (I, as a half Latina, was more than happy for the inclusion of Mexican jokes). Beyond that, the movies make fun of themselves. There’s a certain wink of meta that’s funny, not pretentious. I dont wanna spoil some of the best gags in HK3D but there was one meta joke that had me laughing incredibly loudly for a good couple minutes (long past the point where everyone else moved on) and a later set up that kept me going for a while too.
What’s often the biggest challenge in a sequel (or threequel) is finding a way to keep the material fresh and new, building on top of what’s been established without repeating yourself or trying too hard to steer clear. I felt that the whole Christmas twist was exactly how to accomplish all that. It felt like our same witless heroes, but their setting felt entirely new. I’m fighting everything inside of me to not spill on how NPH’s cameo was one up-ed from before. Just know that it was AMAZEBALLS.
Sadly for me, I didnt get to a 3D showing. The theatre down the street from work was playing the movie at a super convenient time, and they’re also ridiculously cheap (5 bucks for admission, and then I got a HUGE bowl of rocky rock for 3.5, all totalling less than it would have for a non-3D matinee elsewhere). I’m of the opinion that I’m over 3D, but I was actually disappointed that I missed out on this one. Part of why I’m over the fad is that no one ever plays up the gags. They add inward depth, but never make things jump out at you. Without experiencing the third dimension myself, I could see all of those gags I love being set up. It was funny in its own right, but I think I need to get to a 3D showing soon. Not even halfway thru the movie I was already thinking that I wanna see it again.
I know I’m gushing as I tend to do with flicks I get excited about. And man, I hadn’t even realized how stoked I was until I figured out my weekend schedge and saw that there was time enough to fit this in. Yeah, the movie had its flaws. I think it could have done without the whole baby thing (although it was kept to a relative minimum, thus stopping it from going overboard) and I dont know how I felt about the whole mob subplot. But ultimately, very much a win. If I wasn’t behind on films with very little time to catch up, I would probably go back to the theater this weekend. As it is, I’m brainstorming possible days to lead a social trip with my theatre friends (I am our social comm afterall). Maybe I can incorporate that with Turkey Day…
A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/