Let me start by saying that I love the first film. "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" is enjoyable on so many different levels, mainly because of the complete and utter lack of thought behind it; that being said, the filmmakers managed to distract me from the fact that everything that was happening was absurd by the simple act of comedic timing.
I was neither surprised nor shocked to find out that a sequel was in the works and had little doubt that it would probably be a terrible film. Not only because it is so hard to recapture an almost nostalgic feeling from a preceding film, yet also because it is so hard to try again the second time.
"Escape from Guantanamo Bay" seemed like and hour and half of trying way too hard to be funny. What was so great about the first film, at least to me, was that the filmmakers knew they weren't making an Oscar worthy flick, nor a film that would be widely accepted: they were making a movie that they found funny, pot jokes and toilet humor included.
And while the sequel included all of these immature things, it also came with a sense of being forced, all these cliché jokes which have been overused so many times by countless up-and-coming comedians that anyone could see them coming a mile away.
I will give credit where it is due, however. There were a few times (very few, however) where I could not help but laugh incredibly hard. Somehow, and I'm not exactly sure exactly how, they managed to recapture what was so funny about the first film. Mainly, they were the scenes involving Neil Patrick Harris and the guy playing President Bush. Those scenes were so very different than I was expecting that the comedy that happened in them seemed liked gold, even if what was happening was the same stuff I have seen in countless other films.
I usually try to leave the brain at the door when I am seeing these kind of movies...and that usually works. But it was almost too hard to even do that as I watched "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay." Even the thoughtless stoner comedy had me going..."Um, this is stupid." I'm not saying it's not funny...nor am I saying it isn't enjoyable. However, if you are looking to enjoy it as much as the first film, you'll probably be disappointed.
I was neither surprised nor shocked to find out that a sequel was in the works and had little doubt that it would probably be a terrible film. Not only because it is so hard to recapture an almost nostalgic feeling from a preceding film, yet also because it is so hard to try again the second time.
"Escape from Guantanamo Bay" seemed like and hour and half of trying way too hard to be funny. What was so great about the first film, at least to me, was that the filmmakers knew they weren't making an Oscar worthy flick, nor a film that would be widely accepted: they were making a movie that they found funny, pot jokes and toilet humor included.
And while the sequel included all of these immature things, it also came with a sense of being forced, all these cliché jokes which have been overused so many times by countless up-and-coming comedians that anyone could see them coming a mile away.
I will give credit where it is due, however. There were a few times (very few, however) where I could not help but laugh incredibly hard. Somehow, and I'm not exactly sure exactly how, they managed to recapture what was so funny about the first film. Mainly, they were the scenes involving Neil Patrick Harris and the guy playing President Bush. Those scenes were so very different than I was expecting that the comedy that happened in them seemed liked gold, even if what was happening was the same stuff I have seen in countless other films.
I usually try to leave the brain at the door when I am seeing these kind of movies...and that usually works. But it was almost too hard to even do that as I watched "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay." Even the thoughtless stoner comedy had me going..."Um, this is stupid." I'm not saying it's not funny...nor am I saying it isn't enjoyable. However, if you are looking to enjoy it as much as the first film, you'll probably be disappointed.