Harold (John Cho) has settled into a happy life. He’s married to a beautiful woman whose father-in-law (Danny Trejo in a great role) hates him, he’s got a great job on Wall Street, and he’s well on his way to becoming one of the one per cent richest people the 99 per cent are protesting against as we speak. Kumar (Kal Penn) has also settled into a nice routine. His girlfriend has left him, so he lives in a filthy apartment and spends his entire day, night, and life getting high, or as he puts it “not low.” There has been a glut of 3D movies this year, and A Very Harold And Kumar 3D Christmas is another one, except this one seems to have a little bit more self-awareness about the limitations of the genre, which is weird because it’s a Harold and Kumar movie. If anything, Harold and Kumar director Todd Strauss-Schulson and writers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg seem to treat the 3D not as an after-thought, but as something to parody. Yes, they have outlandish 3D set pieces, such as when a flaming Christmas tree gets thrown out of a window, or when a car gets in an accident and the requisite stuff comes flying at the viewer. On the other hand, they have moments such as the one in which Kenneth Park (Bobby Lee) randomly points into the 3D camera after Harold, wisely, reminds him how 3D has jumped the shark. The script, from Harold And Kumar creators Hurwitz and Schlossberg, tries to find a nice balance between the traditionally bittersweet Christmas movie and a Harold And Kumar stoner comedy. In that respect, it’s not terribly successful. It has some funny moments, but it’s also pretty strained and feels tired. It checks some boxes in both genres, but it doesn’t quite hit either mark hard enough to be successful, either as a stoner comedy or as a Christmas comedy. It’s a nice attempt to marry two vastly different genres, but there’s not enough mash in the mash-up. The actors try their best to breathe extra life into the material, but it still feels flat. Cho and Penn are both trying, and they seem to be getting along, but they both feel a little too old for this kind of thing. John Cho has Star Trek to worry about, and Kal Penn has been indulging his political leanings by working for the Obama administration. The novelty of Neil Patrick Harris has also worn off a bit, though they do get some unexpected mileage out of his recent emergence from the closet. Thomas Lennon is a fun supporting character actor in his role, as is Trejo. I’m aware that I’m a little too old and sober to be a member of Harold And Kumar’s core audience, yet in spite of this, I got a few good laughs out of the ridiculousness of A Very Harold And Kumar 3D Christmas. It’s not a classic holiday film or a classic stoner comedy, but it’s an interesting attempt at combining the two. US correspondent Ron Hogan has never been much for mind-altering substances, but he’s a huge fan of the delicious food at White Castle. He can agree with Harold and Kumar on that one. Find more by Ron daily at Shaktronics and PopFi.
