THE FILM:
Dude! Ok. So, like, to let you know, I have NOT seen the first two HAROLD AND KUMAR adventures so I’m going into this kinda blind. While I seriously think that knowing the history of these two characters would make A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS much more entertaining and funny, I still dug the humor. In fact, I may have to go back and catch the first two since even after the credits rolled I had no idea why a successful guy like Harold (John Cho) would care at all about a stoner like Kumar (Kal Penn). And how does someone like Kumar get a girl like Melanie (Danneel Harris) anyways? There are just so many questions, dude. But onto matters at hand…
A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS is an extremely raunchy, base, toilet humored yet very sweet and good hearted story about the successful businessman Harold having his wife’s extremely holiday-serious family over for Christmas. He is desperate to impress her father Mr. Perez (played by the always wonderful and inimitable Danny Trejo.) Mr. Perez has brought with him a Douglas fir he has personally grown and tended over the past eight years which he plans to perfectly trim for the occasion. On the other side of town, Kumar receives an unsigned package addressed to his estranged buddy Harold and decides to deliver it. During his visit, Mr. Perez’s Christmas tree is destroyed and the duo eventually team up to get it replaced. Needless to say, the rest of the night is made up of madcap adventures that include such highlights as being hunted by a mad Ukrainian mobster (Elias Koteas), getting a six-year-old highly stoned, survive being attacked by a giant snowman in a Claymation hallucination, reenacting a famous scene from A CHRISTMAS STORY as only they could, dance on stage in a holiday extravaganza with Neil Patrick Harris and try to save Christmas after inadvertently shooting Santa Claus with a shotgun.
A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS was originally shot in 3D and sadly, the review copy I have is in 2D as the movie is absolutely packed to exploding with 3D effects, sight gags and literally a non-stop barrage of things flying towards (and sometimes breaking) the camera lens. But 3D should not be what a movie is about. It should be the icing on the cake, the extra goodie that enhances the story. The movie should hold up on its own storytelling merits and HAROLD & KUMAR does that very well. This is a grossly funny movie that stoops to the lowest depths to get laughs, and laughs it gets. If you haven’t seen a HAROLD & KUMAR movie, don’t let that stop you from picking up one of the funniest movies of the year.
THE DISC:
It’s becoming an almost automatic reflex to say that a Warner Brother’sBlu-ray transfer is gorgeous, and that ain’t a bad thing at all. HAROLD AND KUMAR come to Blu-ray in a sumptuously bright and colorful anamorphic 2.40 transfer. Everything in this movie is heightened and that goes for the color palette as well. The bright reds and greens pop like Neil Patrick Harris’ confetti cane. Detail and clarity is razor sharp.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround soundtrack is likewise top shelf. As much as this movie explodes with 3D goodies, the soundscape also is packed with directional effects of every kind. This is a seriously robust mix that is playful and fun. However, it is only available on the theatrical cut. The extended cut gets a nice Dolby Digital 5.1 mix.
THE EXTRAS:
The goodies are on the light side but offer enough chuckles to make them worthy of you time.
First up is a small handful of “Deleted Scenes” but most of them would more properly be considered Extended or Alternate scenes as at least one of them can’t be put back in the film proper.
“Through the Haze with Tom Lennon” is a series of fluffy promotional pieces that are hands down the highlight of the supplement section. “I’m Doing A Puff Piece Over Here,” “I Hate Drugs,”F#*! You, Charles Dickens,” “I’m Just Brainstorming Here,” “The Marshmallow Man” and “19th Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told” are couple-minute long nuggets of comedy gold well worth checking out!
“Title Treatment: A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS” is the one serious supplement here taking a look at the creation of the hysterical Claymation sequence.
This set also includes the theatrical cut of the movie, but why bother with it? The more Harold and Kumar the merrier!
MY SAY:
Probably the biggest surprise of last year for me, A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS is a great big ball of fun that comes recommended for any time of the year!
