How High

Being a proud fan of lowbrow humor and a fan of Method Man and Redman, "How High" seemed like a no-brainer comedy, and I was right! This movie can only do harm to people who get offended easily at racial stereotypes, pot smoking and more pot smoking. The movie pokes fun at everyone; class and race. One glance at How High would make you think they're trying to make another "Animal House". Well, I think it's up there. It's got everything except the fraternities. From childish pranks to goofy humor, Meth and Red carry the movie to its predictable conclusion. Many people will write this off as another "Black comedy", but it really is a comedy for everyone. It just "happens" to star two charismatic rap artists. Director Jesse Dylan (yes, Bob's son) knows how to set up a joke and pull the punchline. This film is far funnier than the last two "Friday" films combined (Yes, let's just compare it to other pothead comedies). The supporting cast is terrific as well, including the clueless Fred Willard and uptight Obba Babatunde. The only downside is Mike Epps' pimp character, done much better by Eddie Griffin in "Deuce Bigalow."

The bottom line: Rent it, have a few beers and some good laughs without taking it too seriously.

These doper movies play a game, a delicate game. The idea is primarily to make fun of stereotypes while at the same time exploiting them. They satisfy the relatively dumb viewers (like me) while making fun of them.

That's a long tradition in humor and especially ethnic and black humor directly derived from self-deprecating Yiddish vaudeville.

The story container is the same as in all sorts of similar projects: a collection of skits, some of which extend far to one side of this balance or another. Some are laughing with you, some at you.

So how you receive this has something to with whether you are the targeted demographic and the rest to do with your mood at the time. Since the nature of the audience, its edge, changes so quickly, the balance in the humor goes out of date soon after release, so these movies are poor rentals.

But I have to say that this one hit me right in the center. I liked it.

Here's an indicator. Early in the movie a stoner dies and becomes a ghost who can only be seen when his buddies are stoned on pot grown in his ashes. Perhaps an ordinary movie would just stop there.

The setup is that this guy rents Kevin Costner movies as a ploy to get sex. He is rebuffed so has to watch them alone, stoned of course. He sees himself in the movie, in the field of dreams in a baseball suit.

Cool folding there. Tells us we are with a writer or filmmaker who knows what folding is about. This is straight Bob Dylan.

There's some dialog about this folding. Then he passes out, catches fire, falls out a high window. Wait, he survives, stands up then gets creamed by a bus.

Remember that scene in "Something About Mary" when the dog was electrocuted then thrown out the window. Same space, friends. You laugh, then laugh at yourself for laughing taunted by something behind the actors.

It is a nearly perfect scene. See it just for that one risk.

Much of the rest is dumb.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

I have to be biased here: I love Meth and Redman's music. Whether it's solo, in collaborations with others, or when they do an album together. these two are among the premier rappers in the industry. So despite the films heavy emphasis of promoting marijuana use, which I'm not sold on, I had to see this movie, because I'm a big fan of rap music and would rather see these guys in films over the likes of Britney and Mariah any day.

How High is hilariously funny, but it's not for everybody. You have to be fans of these fine gentlemen or have a crazy sense of humour. The rappers play Silas and Jamal, two young men who live for their pot and sexing. One day, after a friend of Silas was killed in a hilarious accident, Silas and Jamal are smoking a potent type of pot that gives them a high that allows them to "see dead people", namely Ivory, the man who was killed in the accident. He is able to give them the answers to all the questions on their SATs and that allows them to go to any college they want, and so they pick Harvard.

The film has them doing their thing, turning Harvard upside down with their decidedly different attitude and angering the dean (Obba Babatunde, with his name as Dean Cain, after the actor from Superman:The Series).

There are some crazy scenes in this film, such as when they run out of the special pot and they go to a graveyard to dig up the body of President John Quincy Adams, hoping that his brain could help them pass the courses or that weirdo who passes out tickets reacts to seeing his bicycle being destroyed. This film is so out there!

The acting is actually good and the characters have vibrancy. Also in the film are another great rap group, Cypress Hill, and former NBC alums Anna-Marie Horsford (Amen), Fred Willard (DC Follies), and yes, Lisa from Saved By The Bell (Lark Voorhies).

The DVD contains a lot of stuff, from the usual documentaries, music videos, commentary, etc to neat things like the "Hide The Stash" game where you have to find Meth and Red's pot by clicking on the correct 420 and there's even a preview of Eminem's "8 Mile" film. All in all, a lot of fun; if you're like me in my mind frame, see it. This film might be a cult rental like Showgirls and The Doors are for me.

This movie is legendary! Method Man Redman are so awesome throughout, they have the best personalities! A movie about getting high, going to Harvard and being hilarious in many scenes. Jesse Dylan made such a classic gem in comedy/ entertainment. I've seen How High many years ago and didn't appreciate it as much now I think it's a pleasant experience that I love!

Jesse Dylan's (yes son of Bob Dylan if that's and indication) How High is a concoction of weed, more weed, college and sheer belly laughs. There is something about marijuana used in comedies that makes the comedy better, though it depends on if the jokes are delivered right and with the right zing. Cheech and Chong had that to a T and comedies like Half Baked and Friday got pretty close to that tradition, as does this movie which is surprising since this is Method Man and Redman's first comedy together and is co-produced by Danny DeVito.

Method Man here is a mass weed grower who grinds the ashes of his departed friend into his plant which helps him and his new friend played by Redman, score high on exams that get them excepted into Harvard university. This kicks off the usual lot of characters you would expect in a college comedy- the losers, the jock, the overly harsh teachers and dean, the nice girl the lead gets and other girls.

From the looks of that plotline it looks pretty standard and it is if you take the film as seriously as you would Up In Smoke and Animal House, but the film's big kick comes from the charm (did I just say that?) and humor from the two stars, the gags they encounter and the supporting characters input as well. In other words, if you mind the grass, this isn't for you, but for people who are fans of the stars or just want a high comedy time, this is for you. Hector Elizondo, Jeffrey Jones have small parts; Cypress Hill appears unbilled. A-