A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) Review

CLAYTON'S CHRISTMAS CINEMA!

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) Review

With this being the third film in the ongoing Harold & Kumar series, it seemed like a risky and questionable choice to take the two stoners who had such trouble getting to White Castle and getting out of Guantanamo Bay in the previous two films and place them in a holiday setting. But surprisingly enough, it works to maximum effect, and may even be the best Harold & Kumar adventure yet.

Like the previous two, this one is a stoner comedy, but it’s set six years after Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, and since then, the two friends have split up and gone on to live very different lives. Harold (John Cho) has quit smoking pot, now works on Wall Street, and is married to Maria, the girl he first met in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.  Kumar (Kal Penn), on the other hand, is still living in the same apartment, still smoking pot, and still doing nothing. Unless you count getting his girlfriend pregnant by accident (actually make that ex-girlfriend). Harold’s father in-law (played by a terrifying and hilarious Danny Trejo) brings his prized Christmas tree to Harold’s for Christmas. The tree, which he’s been growing for eight years, accidently gets engulfed in flames, when Kumar comes over to pick up a package that turns out to be a giant joint, which he lights up of course. And so begins their quest to find a new Christmas tree. Along the way, they get in some insane situations, slowly reconnect, meet crazy new characters, and one very familiar one who has an awesome song and dance number up his sleeve.

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is a very hilarious stoner comedy, and a great Christmas flick. In a scene very early on, there’s actually a direct reference and joke made at the fact that the movie was originally presented in 3D, and it’s still hilarious even in 2D. The gimmick is fully embraced throughout, and the special effects are surprisingly high tech. One particularly memorable scene involves Harold and Kumar tripping out, and it’s rendered all in stop motion. They see terrifying holiday themed monsters chasing them. Meanwhile, we get to see from the point of view of people on the street that they are being chased by nothing and attacking a lamp post. It’s easy to criticize the plot and general ridiculousness at play here—not just in this film but in all three—but compared to the last entry, the gags are all taken a step further, as they should be, and more jokes actually hit successfully for me than in Guantanamo Bay. If you’re looking for a raunchier sort of holiday comedy along the lines of Bad Santa, but still want a story that keeps the spirit of the holidays intact, then this is the movie for you. 

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is among the better third entries in a film franchise—particularly a comedy franchise—and will satisfy fans of the original with inside jokes and references, while also delivering enough Christmas cheer that even Buddy the elf would have something to sing about.