“Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” stars John Cho, Kal Penn, Rob Corddry and the ever famous Neil Patrick Harris. It’s written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg who are credited for writing the cult classic original.

Taking off just minutes after the first one ended, this sequel follows the two lovable potheads Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) as they head to Europe to find Harolds true love Maria. Things don’t go as planed and the two end up in Guantanamo Bay where they escape and become fugitives. As usual, the two encounter strange and wacky characters while on the run from the joint.

Being a fan of the original, I was very excited about this sequel upon its arrival to theater. John Cho and Kal Penn reprise their roles as the characters they were born to play. This time they get more political and racial on us, actually hurting the film critic wise. However, this critic couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the hard-to-swallow jokes. It’s Politically incorrect, full of gratuitous nudity, and displays its vulgarity with an optimistic charm (something the original was afraid to do?). I got more than I expect with cameo appearances by everyones favorite NPH, the popular The Big Bag of Weed, and a scene that might go down as a vintage in movie history involving George W. Bush.

Neil Patrick Harris and Rob Corddry’s characters are priceless. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it has one of the funniest and surprisingly important scenes in a comedy. This is definitely the most hilarious film of the year so far. It may be early, but it will certainly be hard to top this gutsy approach to comedy gone vulgar with style. Most critics and those with a fragile conscious will hate the 9/11 references and profiling comments on every race imaginable. But if there ever was a list of my guilty pleasures, this is near the top. You’ll have to forgive the pun, but never once does it blow stale smoke.

This sequel is ruder, cruder, and astonishingly much funnier than the original. I admire a film that acquires some audacity, and this stoner comedy has audacity to spare. This is the comedy event of the year and qualifies as a gut-busting, laugh-till-you-cry motion picture. Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg poke fun at every race and never do it in a truly unforgivable way, even adding a few messages down the road. A wacky, smart and most of all tremendously funny ride with the most lovable on-screen duo since Cheech and Chong. A must-see. 4.5/5 stars

Written by Derek Fleek
http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/Derek-Fleek