It's hard not to love Harold and Kumar (Harold And Kumar Get The Munchies (DVD))

Member Name: Majmun

Product:	Harold And Kumar Get The Munchies (DVD)
Date:	31/05/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, witty and charasmatic

Disadvantages: Couple of gross jokes, some may not enjoy the way it deals with racism

I first saw this in my first year of uni in 2006. My boyfriend had a copy of it and from time to time would try to persuade me to watch it. I refused several times, assuming it would be a childish and ridiculous bore - the sort of comedy that weed smoking teenage boys would find funny. Eventually though, I agreed to give it a go but only if I could write one of my essays at the same time (I refused to give it my full attention). But within the first five minutes I was hooked...and needles to say I didn't get any of my essay done.

This film was made in 2004 and was directed by Danny Leiner. It is acually called Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle in America but was changed to Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies for the UK release. You can get hold of it pretty cheaply - it costs £3.98 new on Amazon but you can get a second hand copy from around £1.30. Running time is 84 minutes.

So, who are the main characters? Well, you have John Cho who plays Harold and Kal Penn who plays Kumar. Harold is working as an investment banker and he is sweet, clever and shy as well as being quite uptight and a bit of a worryer. He gets bullied by a gang of local yobs and walked all over at work, forced to do the work of some of the other men in the office. He is in love with Maria, one of his neighbours. Kumar is funny, very clever and expected to follow in the footsteps of his father and attend medical school. However, he prefers havin fun, partying and generally living the high life whilst his father pays for everything. Harold and Kumar are both Asian-American and are best buddies, who share an apartment and have one major thing in common - they like getting high!

And what's the basic plot? Well, Harold and Kumar are spending the night in, getting stoned and watching TV. They realise they have the munchies and are deciding where to go to eat when they see an advert for White Castle on television. They decide that this is exactly what they are craving and set off to get it. However, it seems they are not destined to get to White Castle as they stumble across a number of set-backs and hilarity ensues. From killer racoons, celebrity car theives and bent coppers to Freakshow, the boil infested, born again Christian, there is nothing that is too crazy for this film. The guys do it all in their quest to get a White Castle - crash Princeton parties, get arrested, lose their car and, at one point, end up with Neil Patrick Harris in their backseat. The film isn't all craziness though and is also about finding yourself and staying true to who you are as we see Harold and Kumar deal with racist biggots, career problems and pursuing their love interests.

In short, I was really impressed by this film. I'm not sure what exactly it is about this film that works...but it just works so well! The casting is brilliant. Both John Cho and Kal Penn excel in their first lead roles and they work well together in this film. They are likeable, funny and charismatic guys and play endearing, realistic characters. Their friendship in the film is adorable - the banter between them is hilarious and you can imagine them being just as good friends in real life. Kumar's laid back approach to everything compliments Harold's geeky and anxious persona perfectly. The rest of the cast are great too. Credit should go to Christopher Meloni who gives a memorable performance as Freakshow and John Boylan who plays a racist, angry cop and fines the guys for Jaywalking. Other brilliantly funny characters are Harold and Kumars friends, Rosenburg and Goldstein (played by Eddie Kaye Thomas and David Krumholtz) who arent in it much but have some great lines. Another awesome character is of course Neil Patrick Harris, who does a hilarious parody of himself.

There are lots of genuine funny moments in this film. Ok, some of the comedy is a bit gross and contains a couple of the predictable gags you might expect from a film in this genre - at one point Harold & Kumar overhear two girls in a toilet playing 'battle-s**ts'! But most of the jokes are original, witty and different. You'll find yourself rooting for the guys the whole way through and the film succeeds in making you genuinely care if they reach their destination or not. Sometimes the film gets a bit surreal but it never feels ridiculous - just good old fashioned fun! The film takes an un-PC and light hearted anti-racism slant and the scripts twist on racial stereotypes is original and refreshing.

There is a pretty good selection of extras on the DVD including: outtakes, audio commentary from the writer and director, deleted scenes and interviews with John and Kal. As well as this there are a couple of mini-documentaries called The Art of Fart and A Trip to the Land of Burgers.

In conclusion this film is funny, clever and likable. Many people might assume it's not for them but give it a go - you may just be surprised. However, be warned...this will make you crave a White Castle!!

Summary: Brilliant film - give it a go