HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY

CAROLINE: First of all, the movie started 45 minutes late, which is unprecedented for any screening we’ve ever attended. Unacceptable!

RYAN: It must be the start of blockbuster season because the line of kids trying to get into this screening went around the block in NYC, and that’s saying something. This movie has a huge built-in audience of fans. Potheads; but fans nonetheless.

CAROLINE: As you may remember, the first Harold & Kumar movie didn’t do so well in the box office, but it killed in DVD. So now everyone who loved it on DVD is coming out for the sequel.

RYAN: I saw people in the audience dressed up as Harold and Kumar, they were waving signs. I’m sure it was fun for them, but not for me.

CAROLINE: So Kal Penn and John Cho are back with a cast of not-too-famous people, but there are fun cameos from Beverly D’Angelo as well as Neil Patrick Harris reprising his role from the first film. And I loved Roger Bart too. He doesn’t have a huge part but you’ll recognize him from TV’s “Desperate Housewives.”

RYAN: Some of the gay humor in this movie was incredibly offensive, on par with “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.” That really disappointed me. But they also took pot shots at the black community, Jewish people and Asians.

CAROLINE: Most of the jokes are so overtly offensive that they’re clearly ridiculous. Like when Rob Corddry dumps a bunch of loose change on the two Jewish guys; clearly, it’s not anti-Semitic, it’s just a mockery.

RYAN: But the gay jokes weren’t as overt as that. They were more denigrating. This is just not my type of humor, LBH. Much like I prefer psychological horror movies over gory ones, I also prefer more, dare I say, intelligent humor in comedies rather than fart and poop jokes.

CAROLINE: The first five minutes of this movie are so disgusting and unfunny that I was actually a little bit shocked. We became acquainted with every one of Harold & Kumar’s bodily fluids and it was just not necessary. I think I laughed three times total in this movie. The humor is beyond puerile.

RYAN: I laughed a few times, but overall it’s a really dumb movie. It’s for kids who are high, and we do not fit into that category.

CAROLINE: I’m sure it’ll do well at the box office, but clearly you and I aren’t the target demo. We’re too old and too sober. And after seeing Kal Penn in “The Namesake,” last year, I have to believe movies like this are just a paycheck to him now.

RYAN: He’s kinda cute actually. I like him and he’s a decent actor, but this is a lame movie. Bottom line?

CAROLINE: It’s a stupid, moderately funny movie. The target audience knows who it is and they’ll all go see it. And the film reviewers like us will have to suffer through it; but at least it was free.

RYAN: Seriously. I would not recommend that anyone pay to see this movie. And for those in the target audience – just get high and rent it at home.