Susan Granger’s review of “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” (New Line Cinema)
Everything old is new again in this silly, subversive stoner comedy that evokes memories of Cheech & Chong, along with”American Pie,” “Road Trip” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?” The goofy, ganga-tinged adventure revolves around a shy, low-level New Jersey accountant, Harold Lee (John Cho) and his foul-mouthed, rebellious, pre-med-school buddy, Kumar Patel (Kal Penn), who develop a craving for a succulent White Castle burger after a mind-altering smoking session in front of Friday night TV. But their nocturnal quest for this tasty, mouth-watering ‘munchie’ is fraught with mishaps. Along with coping with racist cops and jocks, hang-gliding and riding a cheetah, they have a satirical encounter with hitchhiking “Doogie Howser” (Neil Patrick Harris). Plus Fred Willard, Christopher Meloni and Ryan Reynolds cameos. And, somehow, along the way, they discover more about who they are and what they want to be. Written by Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg and directed by Danny Leiner (“Dude, Where’s My Car?”), it’s a broad, episodic, cannabis-inspired riff, minus the subtlety and deft touches that could have made it far funnier. But at least no one can accuse them of racial and ethnic stereotyping. And the White Castle executives are so thrilled at the advertising exposure that they’ve inducted the actors, writers and director into the White Castle Craver’s Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ohio, which honors individuals who go “above and beyond” to get to the restaurant chain. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” is a raunchy, high 5, aimed specifically at an audience of less-than-sober young adults. Or, as a Canadian colleague of mine remarked, “So many bodily functions, so little time!”
