User reviews

What started as a simple stoner trip comedy, becomes something that pushes the limit with every installment. And that is the case with this 3rd one, most of the humor comes from that is so messed up that it's funny...Well for some viewers at least although it can offend the others. While some movies the 3D is not worth it, this is one of those movie that has to be seen in 3D if your going to watch it. And for the most part the 3D is worth it and it actually plays a crucial part in the movie since the plot brings out and gives 3D scenarios. If you don't see it in 3D it can be a bit confusing cause you might not get some of the jokes. Anyways if you liked stoner comedies and comedies that pushes the limits this movie might be worth checking out. The movie had one special ingredient that made this movie better than the second one and that is the simple but fun aspect. Although Harold and Kumar is not in college anymore and is now full adults, I wouldn't mind another sequel.

7.3/10

I think part of the reason the first movie worked so well is because going to White Castle is, relatively, a very simple, ordinary trip. But when it's Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) it becomes a very wild adventure. I didn't enjoy the second one as much because escaping from Guantanamo Bay wouldn't be an easy task for anybody. For this third movie, Harold and Kumar are back to turn a routine errand into a hair-raising, hazardous experience. Harold has to decorate a Christmas tree.

But when Kumar comes over and accidentally burns down the tree, they then have to find a new one, steal it from a drug-lord gangster thug, try to not rape his daughter, crash a musical production of The Nutcracker, and limit the number of people they shoot and drug (to only Santa Claus and a baby).

The 3D is of course a gimmick. They know that; we know that. It involves joints coming out of the screen and eggs, blood, and guts. It is as juvenile and pointless as you can get. But that is the point.

The jokes are of course offensive. But, again, that's the point. It makes it okay when the out-and-proud Neil Patrick Harris makes gay jokes, or when Cho and Penn make racial jokes.

I enjoyed the journey that they take in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas". Every time the baby found a new drug to imbibe, or Kumar smoked another joint, I laughed. It's the type of humour that has made the franchise so successful.

I have an affection for raunchy comedies and I love 3D so this marriage in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" definitely filled voids in places where most movies have been lacking as of late.

First and foremost, the movie was entertaining throughout with no dull moments. All the characters were great and Neil Patrick Harris was hysterical. Although some might think this film could be considered lowbrow, it really isn't because it was well written and the situations (as absurd as they are) work to even satisfy an intelligent viewer with a good time.

The 3D experience was better in this movie than most I've seen in years. It was consistent throughout, no eyestrain, very clean, and had some nice out-of-screen effects that paired well with the comedy.

As morally and politically incorrect this movie is; it ultimately does have a good message with a lot of heart and actually put me into the Holiday spirit! I know; I can't even believe I just stated that but sadly it's true. I'm definitely jaded, but then again aren't we all by now? Definitely a must see in 3D.

As a standalone christmas movie, it's pretty funny. This conclusion to the classic Harold and Kumar trilogy that began when they went to White Castle before escaping from Guantanamo Bay before finally spending Christmas in New York with friends and family. The first one was a classic while the second one was meh. The third one makes fun use of the 3d pop-up effects to comic use and it's worth watching if you own it on 3d bluray. It's not for kids as it's rated a hard R. Can't wait to see what the duo comes up with in an upcoming animated series!!!

Once again, Harold and Kumar bring it with more completely original ideas that made me laugh like a maniac several times throughout the movie. These guys once again prove that anything can be funnier if you add weed and nudity. And the fact that Kal Penn can still make these movies and maintain a respectable reputation at the White House is hilarious enough as it is.

As good as this one was, however, it didn't really live up to the expectations that were set by "Guantanamo Bay". Maybe it's because when I saw that one, it was in a packed theatre at 10 pm with a bunch of stoners laughing their guts out at every single joke. As unappealing as that sounds (I wasn't stoned during this movie), it's those types of things that make movies THAT much better if you ask me. Laughing my butt off with 30 or more people, including a few random 14 year olds who needed to pretend they were with me in order to get in (true story) just wasn't the same.

Something that really bugged me was how NPH was barely used in this one. Although his picture actually made it poster this time, he wasn't really in it as much as I hoped. Come to think of it, many of the old jokes from "White Castle" and "Guantanamo Bay" weren't used at all.

And whether or not it was the theatre I went to, the 3D was disgraceful. I almost suggest seeing the 2D version: your eyes won't hurt, you'll save a few bucks, and you really won't miss anything.

But even though it may not have lived up to the previous ones, Harold and Kumar prove once again that as far as epic stoner comedies go, they can't be beat. This one left me sore from laughing, and with an itch to see more (even though, once again, I wasn't stoned). I strongly suggest you get a big group to go to this one; the more laughs around you, the funnier this movie will be.

And of course, there's nothing like getting into the Christmas spirit a little early. Especially if you celebrate Christmas like these guys.

The two most lovable stoners in movie history return in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas," which somehow continues the series' impressive balancing act of clever humor, crude jokes, stoner gags and heart.

When you look at the franchise's three biggest stars — John Cho, Kal Penn and Neil Patrick Harris — it becomes clearer why the movies work. All three of them have gone on to be successful in all manner of films and television shows, a testament to their acting ability. If they had been written and portrayed as shallow, obnoxious stoners, this Christmas special would've been direct-to-DVD and recast with no-name actors.

This third adventure takes place six years after "Escape from Guantanamo Bay," and our dear friends have stopped talking to each other because Harold has grown up and Kumar has not. Their paths collide once more, however, when a package for Harold arrives at Kumar's apartment. He courteously brings it to Harold's new house, where they reconnect and discover it's a giant joint, and they accidentally burn down Harold's father-in-law's (Danny Trejo) beloved Christmas tree.

The search to replace the Christmas tree before midnight mass is on, and it takes the duo and their replacement best friends Todd (Thomas Lennon) and Adrian (Amir Blumenfeld) on less of a wild journey in terms of geography and general weirdness, but one with plenty of wacked-out sequences from claymation drug trips to NPH's recollection of his time in heaven to an R-rated riff on a classic "A Christmas Story" gag.

With all the 3D pandering and psychedelic trips (every drug imaginable gets play time), "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" was meant to be experienced on the big screen (or a 3D LED set), but its meta jabs at the medium help ease the multitude of slow-motion shots that hurt the pacing of the movie when viewed in 2D.

As a fan of the series who is not a fan of the marijuana (in the using sense), several scenes remind the sober viewers we're not high enough to watch this movie, but enough of the jokes are clever as opposed to simply balls-out. I've always found that the hallmark of the franchise is never that each installment is a laugh fest, but that it stays grounded while occasionally funnier than you'd guess it would be. This is of course thanks to Penn and Cho, whose chemistry continues to be the bread and butter of the series. That, and the reliably delightful appearance of Harris.

In spite of the many examples the film puts forward that give us an opportunity to shrug it off as immature and stupid, it finds ways of being charming. How you can find yourself rooting for a waffle-making robot not included in the film for any logical reason is testament to what Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg have created.

~Steven C

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Holiday films are much like Christmas sweaters and holiday albums by has-been recording artists sold next to the cash register at the Hallmark store: best avoided. I made an exception for "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas."

The newest film in the series picks up several years since the boys escaped from Guantanamo Bay. Harold (John Cho) is all grown up as a big- shot Wall Street trader with a fellow Korean-American as his loyal assistant (Bobby Lee, reviving his bit part from the first Harold and Kumar film). He's finally married to Maria Perez, and they live in a beautiful suburban home. Kumar, however, is still the immature boy he has always been. The epiphany he had at the climax of "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" has worn off, and we learn he has failed med school. Or rather, he failed a drug test. The two haven't seen each other in two years, and have replaced each other with newer, lamer friends.

The story starts with Kumar (Kal Penn, Assistant Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement) finding a mysterious package addressed to Harold on his doorstep. He drops it off at Harold's house. The estranged friends open the package and find a gigantic joint inside. Kumar naturally lights it up and accidentally sets the Christmas tree on fire. This is a problem, you see, because Maria's father is Danny Trejo (Machete), a frightening Mexicano with a scarred face and a Christmas tree sweatshirt. He is fanatical about Christmas trees and already has a very good reason to hate Koreans.

The two set out on a journey to replace the tree before the Perez family returns from midnight mass. They have run-ins with a pair of black Christmas tree salesmen, Ukrainian mobsters, Santa Claus and Neil Patrick Harris (Starship Troopers).

"A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Chrstimas" is a worthy continuation of the series. The production value has increased greatly since the first film, and it makes good use of the 3D, using the same cheesy gimmicks as early 3D films from the '50s. True to the holiday-film genre, there is even a (cocaine induced) claymation sequence.

While better than "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," the third film in the series doesn't have the fresh feel of the first. For example, in the first film, when we saw Doogie Howser snort a line of coke off a stripper's buttocks, it was shocking and funny. It has simply become expected the third time around. The movie is still funny, but the jokes are no longer new, and the laughs don't come as quick as the first film.

"A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" may not be the holiday classic that "A Christmas Story" is (although there is a shocking scene that pays homage to the 1983 comedy), it is worth seeing for anyone who enjoyed the first two films.

Well how to put this....i was so anxiously waiting for this movie to come out as it set the tone in the last two amazing ventures. I was expecting the same old Harold & Kumar type of jokes and was ready to laugh my ass off on this one too but i was Disappointed!! The movie was dragged and got boring to an extent that i was talking to myself that am i really watching Harold & Kumar?? This movie was released in 3D which the director really really strongly emphasized on many occasions which looked pretty rookie to me...

Lastly, the type of jokes were not Harold & Kumar standard at all..especially on few occasions i thought they took it overboard...The heaven joke which i think was way too bizarre and was not required at all....

Final word: i wish they had lived up to the legacy of Harold & Kumar!!

If you liked the first two Harold & Kumar movies then you will likely like this one. If you have never seen a Harold & Kumar movie they are implausible story line, very irreverent, even crass, comedies that always break taboos.

This movie's story line is again unlikely and at times totally ridiculous, it's a total cut up comedy. You get the sense that the actors were having fun while they were filming. I laughed (and moaned) throughout the entire movie which I think is kind of the benchmark for this genre.

A lot of the humor uses or pokes fun at the 3D effects so see it in 3D if you can, it's a real treat, the effects are great. There was enough pot smoke and coke blown in you face that you could almost get high.

Morally wrong on soo many levels and unnecessarily filmed in 3D but that somehow managed to work pretty well for the most part but this film is so much fun and hysterically funny that you will have a blast. It's great to see all of these lively and wacky characters come back to the big screen that it should be a every year tradition because their company never gets old and it will have to be one of the best stoner comedies ever as well as Christmas comedy ever next to Christmas Vacation. The thing I like about these movies are that the jokes are relevant, ballsy and unapologetic kind of like Family Guy and they are to me always consistent with making me laugh because of the outrageousness that I just can't get enough of this series, they are on a roll! Overall this is a treat for only fans of the series because if you were offended by them before this one won't change your mind, you will love it or you will hate it, I for one loved it!!!! Bring on more Harold & Kumar!!! Recommended!

Christmas came early for me this year. I didn't know there was a third part to the franchise, so finding out about ­Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas made my of October. That said, I watched it on the fourth of the month, so… This particular installment of the Harold and Kumar series takes place over an entire day just before Christmas. After Harold and Kumar's last adventure, Escape from Guantanamo Bay, it seems the duo had become estranged. Since then Harold has grown-up, given up the stoner life, and become a respectable citizen. Then, out of nowhere the good ol' Kumar shows up and burns down Harold's Christmas tree with a massive joint. Harold desperately needs a new tree, but finding one is not as easy a task as it sounds. Their adventure begins.

What ensues during the quest to find this tree is either comic genius or just utter crap. I propose it is solid mix. First, there is a toddler that gets high on at least three types of drugs. Then Harold and Kumar themselves get drugged, drugged into a random "claymation" sequence in fact where they are almost killed by an Abominable Snowman. Then, they almost get killed again, this time by some gangsters.

Thanks to the veritable array of ethnicities in the film there are some hilarious race jokes that come across nicely, but the highlight of the film must be when Harold and Kumar have a run in with "America's Sweetheart" Neil Patrick Harris. Yes! The Neil Patrick Harris, the one that died and came back to life in Guantanamo More reviews at getthebonesaw.blogspot.com

OMG, what did I watch last night? I mean there were some seriously hilarious moments, but I wasn't high enough. I mean high at all! I think to thoroughly enjoy this flick you need a big fatty (if you know what I mean!) This being said, I just adore Harold and Kumar and always love watching their adventures. Maybe the excrement on the vehicle went a little too far for me in this movie, but overall very funny. Without giving anything away, the scenes with the baby girl are particularly funny once she gets going. And of course, I always love Danny Trejo. What's not to love about him? Give it a go... Especially if you're high or buzzed you will undoubtable walk away with at least a few chuckles.

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011) ~umR ☛ 6/10 Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson Stars: Kal Penn, John Cho and Neil Patrick Harris 90 min - Comedy

Harold & Kumar is back but with a little less fun this time....I wouldn't say this movie disappointed me coz it did had some really laugh out loud scenes but wish there was little more to enjoy. I guess this movie has got this much hike because of its 3D effects.. But for those who watch it without 3D its just another Harold and Kumar's raunchy comedies. (But, again with less comedy) This movie's story line is again unlikely and at times totally ridiculous, it's a total cut up comedy. You get the sense that the actors were having fun while they were filming. I laughed (and moaned) throughout the entire movie which I think is kind of the benchmark for this genre. Even said that I wish this movie lived up to the previous parts...All in all the movie was pretty kool, and I did have a good time...watch out for that egg throwing scene...;)

STORYLINE

Six years have elapsed since Guantanemo Bay, leaving Harold and Kumar estranged from one another with very different families, friends and lives. But when Kumar arrives on Harold's doorstep during the holiday season with a mysterious package in hand, he inadvertently burns down Harold's father-in-law's beloved Christmas tree. To fix the problem, Harold and Kumar embark on a mission through New York City to find the perfect Christmas tree, once again stumbling into trouble at every single turn.

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Harold and Kumar are two young Americans who swear, fornicate and like pot. (Geez I could have made that even briefer by just saying 'Harold and Kumar are two young Americans'.) Now we find revisit them six years after their last escapades. Harold is now a successful and Maria are married and trying for a child – nice one Harold. Kumar has broken up with and is still slobby, lazy and decidedly non-driven. The once inseparable pair have gradually grown apart.

Perhaps in an attempt to fill the respective voids that they each feel after the loss of the other, both have new 'best buds'. Harold the over keen and totally dorky Todd (Tom Lennon), Kumar some new stoner dude.

The plot isn't the point of this threequel. But if you MUST know Harold and Kumar reluctantly team up with new buds in tow to find a replacement Christmas tree so that Harold can please his Father in Law (Danny Trejo) who is spending his first Christmas with them.

Along the way expect drug use, beer pong, Ukrainian gangsters and tripping babies.

The point of the film is that it is in 3D, so at various times we can witness the following items fly past, over or toward us: smoke (natch), eggs, joints, baby Jesus and… wait for it, semen.( Yep, bring your folks to this one.) Patton Oswalt plays a mall Santa in an unfortunately all too short cameo, Neil Patrick Harris is once again back to play an alternate NPH, and as always chaos reigns.

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is everything you expect – i.e. nothing you could rightfully expect – and nothing you don't – i.e. good taste, low key, well crafted jokes – but it's all too stupidly funny to bother hatin' on it.

Suffice to say if you liked Harold and Kumar in 2D, you'll like them just as much in 3D.

Final Rating – 6 / 10. I saw this last night and now only one sleep later can hardly remember it, in saying that I would be just as happy to watch it again tomorrow. (But I'm not shilling another twenty on it fellas.)

The Harold & Kumar franchise is beginning to show signs of wear and tear, yet it still packs fun and laughs because of its actors and the lively, upbeat material. That's not to say the material is always shining, in fact, in terms of writing, this is probably the raunchiest installment in the franchise yet. Which doesn't mean it is the funniest. This may be the least funny of the series, yet this seems on the same level as Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, an inferior but amusing sequel.

Being faced with the third installment is always an iffy place to be. Especially when you see it end. You try and think to yourself whether or not a sequel will be made. Here? I'm honestly not sure. I don't want there to be, but there are a few set ups which make it seem like they are considering it. No sequel will match the humor the introduction to these characters brought us. It was erected from the simplicity of the story and the extreme likability of the characters.

John Cho and Kal Penn, who took a leave from his position at the White House, reprise their roles as the stoner duo who have now been out of contact for six years. Harold is a successful Wall Street banker, while Kumar is busy sitting on his couch with his buddy, smoking pot, and waiting for the next random hookup. Harold is married to the love of his life Maria (Garces), and her side of the family, including her father (Trejo), is coming over on Christmas Eve.

Maria's family is made up of thugs with tattoos and heavy muscles. Her father loves Christmas and cherishes it because when he was young he never had a respectable celebration with his family. When Maria and her family leave to attend a Midnight Mass, Harold is left in charge to decorate the authentic Christmas tree. Kumar comes over, and the duo accidentally burn down the tree (think hard, and the way they do it will come to you).

Harold and Kumar now team up to try and find a new Christmas tree for the family before the family comes home. Joining them for a brief amount of time on their adventure is Harold's friend, a new father with a child and Kumar's buddy who is hellbent on having sex with a young virgin. The baby jokes almost completely destroy the film with her inhaling marijuana smoke and cocaine. The result isn't laughter, but a cringing factor that can easily destroy a comedy film.

Thankfully, those two "characters" are abandoned while the real stars do what they do best. Wander around aimlessly, falling into comedic traps that are sometimes funny and sometimes not. Somewhere along the way in the second film, Harold & Kumar morphed into a strange, comedic fantasy rather than a straight forward comedy.

There was a gag in the second film about a child with a severe birth defect giving him only one eye, and very many scenes in this film involving fictionalized events such as a baby crawling around on the roof after getting mixed in with cocaine and the certain appearance of a jolly character. We begin to question why did the filmmakers feel the need to incorporate such far-fetched elements in a comedy. I believe it just adds to the phrase "stoner comedy film." As far as the 3D aspect of the film, it's there but not necessary. It looks better than a lot of 3D films I've seen over the years, but the extra ticket price is absurd for a film like this. One thing that incredibly aggravates me about this film is the fact that it is what I call a "3D abuser." This is the reason why 3D is a lose-lose for a movie; if you incorporate too many 3D elements in the film (IE: throwing things at the audience or having an opening credit sequence devoted to using the extra dimension) it will look awkward and out of place by the time you watch the 2D DVD. If you don't put the dimension to use and don't utilize enough, the film will be criticized for even using it in the first place. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, when titled something like A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas on DVD, will look awkward and very, very strange on a 2D disc.

But numerous pluses continue to put a smile on my easily pleased face. The presence of Neil Patrick Harris, the use of the two leads to the fullest degree, the excellent claymation sequence, and the touching ending show just what the franchise has long been about. Heart and hilarity. As much as I loved the first film and have a soft spot for each sequel, it's time for a good thing to come to an end. The series has just about overstayed its welcome, and another sequel could very much put an unwanted stain on the fabric of the franchise, like so many filmmakers feel like doing to franchises now.

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is good, pre-holiday fun. It's not as downbeat and as miserable as Bad Santa, yet it doesn't have the pleasing plot of a Christmas classic. It takes its R rating, embraces it, and is proud of the way its traveled. After all, adventures to White Castle, Guantanamo Bay, and a search for a giant Christmas tree in the span of a few years is what I would call a long odyssey. An odyssey that should dock and deport before it goes into uncharted territory.

Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Danny Trejo, Paul Garces, and Bobby Lee. Directed by: Todd Strauss-Schulson.

I thought this movie was better than Guantanamo Bay, but not quite as good as White Castle. I thought the plot was decent and it had me intrigued throughout, I just wish it didn't have those ridiculous unrealistic moments like the one with the Christmas tree and the other with the ping pong ball. There were some funny moments in the movie which I enjoyed. Just like in the other two movies, the thing I didn't like about this movie is the explicit nudity and sexual content. Overall the movie is decent, but for me personally I like movies with a realistic plot even if it is a comedy movie.

The original Harold & Kumar movie was great. The second was Ok, but not great. This one is worse. Not bad, just not as good as its predecessors. Mostly quite silly, though it does have its moments.