From Danny Leiner, the director of "Dude, Where''s My Car?" comes "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," another pothead comedy
that is infinitely better than Leiner''s last attempt.
Though some will disagree with me, "Dude, Where''s My Car?" was one of the dumbest and lamest comedies ever to grace the big screen. It alone made me skeptical of Leiner''s next film, but boy was I surprised! "Harold & Kumar" is funny, clever and pleasantly short. Unlike "Dude," "Harold & Kumar" features two very bright people, an Asian investment banker named Harold (John Cho) and an Indian college student named Kumar (Kal Penn) - they just both really like to smoke pot. One night, overcome with the munchies, they set out for White Castle burgers, but what seems like a simple task soon becomes a monumental one. As they journey through the night, they encounter a group of poser snowboarders, an escaped cheetah, a deformed mechanic with a beautiful and loose wife and plenty of other random occurrences (like the real Doogie Howser!).
Obviously, those looking for "serious" comedies may want to hit theaters and check out "Sideways," but "Harold & Kumar" is surprisingly intelligent, albeit not without its share of shameless jokes as well. There are a fair amount of boobs, a ravenous raccoon and a man covered with puss-filled boils. There are also several clever jokes revolving around racial stereotypes... and, of course, pot.