Le Joyeux Noël d'Harold et Kumar

Harold & Kummar movies are mercifully free of hypocrisy, with no taboo left unviolated. This is not a film you take your mother to (let her see it by herself). Everyone is criticizing the 3D as gratuitous, but it was part of the humor, exaggerated like in Piranha 3D. I usually despise 3D as a pointless distraction; this was a rare occasion when it seemed to fit. Pot smoke wafting out towards the audience--what better use of 3D? How could anyone complain about gratuitous 3D given this film's other excesses? One could similarly call the clay animation sequence gratuitous, but it was brilliant! It seems to me that these H&K movies contain some serious messages on drugs, race, and other social issues rolled up with the crude humor.

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.

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

To put it simply, Harold and Kumar was incredibly funny. The movie is set six years after they escape from G bay (you must ignore the fact they haven't aged). For me to say this was just another Harold and Kumar movie would be unfair. I loved the first one. Simple premise with many jokes and characters along the way. Half of what made it funny was the fact Roldy and Kumar were going through this hell just to have some fast food. Escape from G bay had funny moments but them escaping a maximum security prison holding war criminals to reach America and regain their innocence? It was a little much. Don't get me wrong I still liked it but it felt like that magic was gone with the simplicity of the first. So when I saw the third was about to come out and it was a "christmas special" I felt hopeful for a good one but not confident.

The third instalment had that simplicity again. Yes, there was new characters and the 3D was new but they all worked so perfectly. Yes certain things were dumb and even weird like the fake baby Jesus winking at me or a coked up baby running around on the ceiling but its that kind of movie! They were going through hell once again to simply find a Christmas tree. The new characters were very funny and the old jokes and characters were seen and told in a new way (unlike Hangover 2). Another new character was the use of 3D in this instalment. It was incredible, and not just the smoke and coke flying at me but characters acknowledging it and poking fun. Bottom line is its OK to be apprehensive because the second one was just alright and a comedy like this in 3D could be thought of as being corny and trying to hard but they pulled it off perfectly. Harold and Kumar is dumb fun and for what it is this is a great comedy. Just make sure you catch it in 3D! Read my other reviews at rollginreviews.blogspot.com

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.